#a dash of kuroken

[stardustintheabyss]

Soulmated To Sunshine Eyes

Haikyuu soulmate!au

Bokuto x fem!reader

Warnings: swearing, lil angsty

Sum: One of your childhood best friends, Tetsuro Kuroo, begs you to be Nekomas team manager just in time for the summer training camp, you agreed not knowing who you'd find there

When you turn 17 a tattoo representing your soul mate appears. When they are near(2 mile radius)it tingles but both people have to have them first. It stops when you kiss.

A/n: this has been sitting in my wips for a year and I promised myself I'd get this done in time for my loves birthday and I finished with an hour and a half to spare (shout out to pressurized procrastination). Anyways happy birthday to my favorite beefy owl 😚

"Y/nnnnn! C'mon it'll be fun! You come to all the games anyway and you're good at hyping up the team, even Kenma, and giving advice. And I've seen the statistics notebook you keep. Please, please, please!" Tetsuro begged.

You laughed and rolled your eyes at your best friend.  For a few weeks now, well more so since Kenma joined, he'd been trying to get you to be the Nekoma volleyball manager. And honestly he was starting to make a good argument. "If I say yes will you quit bugging me?" You joked as you lightly punched his shoulder.

"Yes ma'am!" He smiled.

"Fine then. You're lucky I love you and Kens." You laughed.

"Oh. By the way we have a week long training camp in a week." He grinned.

"What." That little shit, he KNOWS your 17th birthday is in a couple weeks. The same week as the training camp apparently. Maybe this was his way of trying to cheer you up... You let out a sigh.

He shoved some papers into your hands, hyena laughing before running for his life, "Here's the permission slip! Bye!"

"Tetsuro, I swear I'm gonna kick your ass next time I see you!" You yelled a half empty threat after him. After letting out a sigh you realized at least you'd be with your two best friends when you got your soul mate tattoo. You'd been watching Tetsuro and Kenma play for years. You let out a small smile, you really did love volleyball even though you weren't really good enough to be on a team but played well enough to practice with Tetsu when Kenma refused. Which was more often than not. So maybe being apart of the team as a manager would be fun.

And that was how you got where you are now, in one of the gyms at Shinzen high school. You were a little nervous about being the manager but the team made you feel welcome. Even Coach Nekomata seemed to like you. Probably because you didn't have a problem putting the boys in their place when they needed it. You weren't what he was expecting. This training camp gave you the chance to find your footing before a real game. And you were having a blast. It was the second to last day and you'd found a nice rhythm. You were writing down some stats and advice on the game the team just won when you heard a boisterous voice from the court next to yours. "Oh yeah! Nice one Akaashi!" You looked to see the Fukurodani captian praising his setter. If you remembered correctly his name was Bokuto Kotaro and he was one of the top 5 aces in the country. Who were you kidding, of course you remembered, you were borderline obsessed with picking out talented players and learning as much as you could about them. He wore his emotions on his sleeve and seemed like an amazing person in general. The kind of person people gravitate towards. And to be honest he wasn't bad looking either. "He's a great player isn't he?" Tetsuro said. You nearly jumped out of your skin.

You smacked his chest, your cheeks warm from getting caught staring. "God Tetsu clear your throat or something. You almost gave me a heart attack." Scowling at him you grabbed his water bottle and took a drink. "Yeah, he's pretty powerful but he also has a great setter to back him up and can read his moods too."

"Mmhm." He leaned in closer, taking in your reddened face. His eyes twinkled with knowing and mischief. "You think he's hot don't ya."

"What? No! Shut up!" You screeched, a little too loud. Loud enough to have number 4 look your way and give you a bright smile,  his eyes crinkled almost shut. You blushed, how could you not smile back at the sweet owl, so you returned an embarrassed small one. You turned glaring at your best friend as you shoved your notebook into Tetsuro's hands. Back at normal volume, more flustered than mad, "Fuck off Tetsu. What you need to work on is written in there. I need to go refill water bottles."

"Hey, later come by gym 3. Lev, I and a few other guys are having a 3 vs 3." He chuckled.

"Maybe, maybe not." You grumbled.

"Please Y/n, we could use your eyes." Tetsuro teased.

"Fine. But only cause I'm an awesome manager and you're hopeless without me." You mocked back before leaving to do your managerial duties.

"You know you shouldn't tease Y/n like that Tetsuro. Not with her 17th birthday tomorrow." Kenma said quietly as he came up next to him.

"Why? She knows I'm just kidding around." Kuroo told his boyfriend.

"Because she can still kick your ass if she feels like it." Kenma smirked before taking a drink of water.

"True but nah, she loves me too much." Kuroo couldn't wait for the little surprise he had for you later in gym 3....only a little afraid of what you might do to him. He was planning on asking you anyway but this development made things...interesting.

Bokuto had seen you around the training camp all week. Usually you were with Kuroo and Kenma. But this was the first time he'd heard you speak. He wondered what you were shouting at Kuroo about. He looked over giving you his biggest smile hoping it might brighten your mood, if just a little. In return you gave a soft but pretty one before shoving a notebook into Kuroo's hands and briskly walking away. "Hey, hey 'Kaashi, do you know who that is?" He nodded in your direction, you were gathering water bottles.

"The Nekoma manager I assume." Akaashi said disinterested.

Bokuto's cheeks rosied, "I know that! I meant do you know her name?"

"Huh uh." Akaashi smirked catching the color in Bokuto's face. "But earlier Kuroo mentioned he'd try and get their manager to come to the 3 vs 3. Something about 'she has a good eye', I don't know. So maybe you'll meet her tonight." That small smile you gave Bokuto lit up his eyes more than usual. It didn't take long for Akaashi to surmise that his best friend had a crush.

Your duties were done for the day and you decided to go run some laps around the track before heading to gym 3. You thought it might help to get rid of some nervous energy you had about tomorrow. In a few short hours you would have your soulmate tattoo. You didn't know why you were anxious about it, it's not like it mattered. It was bullshit, it wouldn't change anything. You shook your head changing your clothes. It was still pretty warm out so you'd changed into just a sports bra and leggings. Putting your ear buds in you cranked your favorite playlist and started running.

You didn't know how long you ran for but the sky was darker now and your leg muscles were twitching. You also weren't as anxious about tomorrow. Smiling you headed to gym 3 to go watch the game, wondering who the other 4 players were. Your mouth dropped open when you saw who Lev and Tetsuro were playing with. Two from Karasuno and two from Fukurodani. One of which was the ace you had been caught staring at. Briefly you wondered if Kenma would forgive you or help you murder Tetsu.

They were on their second set and you didn't want to interrupt anyone's momentum. You stayed in the doorway silently watching until there was a break in the play. "Oya?!" You shouted to get your best friends attention.

"Oya oya! Y/n, you made it! Bout time!" Kuroo yelled back before walking towards you. Everyone's head swiveled in your direction.

"Oya oya oya!" Bokuto added almost reflexively with a smile to yours and Kuroo's greeting followed by what looked like a scolding from his team mate.

You chuckled quietly to yourself before addressing Testu. "Yeah, I was just running some laps." Your eyes narrowed at him, letting him know he was in for it later for not specifying who he was practicing with.

"Nervous about tomorrow are we?" Tetsuro quietly asked you, for no one else to hear. He handed you a water, concern in his eyes. He may be a goofball and push your buttons but he's always been there when you needed him. Who knew the rooster-haired boy was such a mother hen at heart.

Blowing out a breath, "I'm fine Tets, thank you though." You gulped some water down as Tetsuro ushered you towards the other players. Not quite believing your words.

"Guys, this is Y/n L/n, the new Nekoma manager." Kuroo introduced you, slinging an arm around your shoulder.

Karasuno's number 10 walked over to you holding his hand out, " Hi! I'm Sho—."

You interrupted him, eyes sparkling and grabbed his hand to shake. Your volleyball geekiness was about to show. "You're Hinata Shoyo , Karasuno's Trojan whirlwind middle blocker!" Pointing, you named off the others, " Karasuno's Tsukishima Kei, the poker-faced perceptive bean pole middle blocker. Fukurodani's Akaashi Keiji, the analytical and supportive setter vice captian." You bit the inside of your cheek trying to not sound fangirly. "And last but not least, Fukurodani's Bokuto Kotaro, the powerful owl ace captian. Also one of Japans top 5 aces." Your eyes flicked over to Bokuto and lingered. A small shy smile forming on your lips and nervous laugh leaving your mouth. "Sorry, I don't mean to sound like a know it all. I just kinda have a knack for picking out talented and skilled players...and kind of obsessing. Oh and you all can just call me Y/n by the way."

"And boom. That's why Y/n is the best manager ever. Give her 10 minutes of a game and she'll pick out the specialties of a skilled players on any team!" Tetsuro praised.

"And she's nice when she helps me, she's patient unlike Yaku." Lev added.

"Oh, shut up Tetsuro." You blushed. "And you're welcome Lev. I just noticed you get less frustrated and play better when supported that way is all."

"Thanks Y/n! Well I am a pretty awesome player, right 'Kaashi?" Bokuto puffed his chest out. A faint red tint to his cheeks only Kuroo and Akaashi noticed.

Akaashi rolled his eyes, "Shut up Bo. No one likes someone who's full of themselves."

You could have sworn you saw Bokuto's hair deflate along with his happy attitude. You didn't like seeing him down. Before you could think you squeezed his arm comfortingly. "Hey, there is nothing wrong with being confident and believing in yourself." You gave him a wink, "Besides you're too sweet a guy to be an asshole about it."

Bokuto instantly perked up at your words. "You're so kind Y/n! Thanks, Akaashi means well but can be a little  blunt sometimes." Bokuto lifted you up into a hug, your feet leaving the floor.

"Y–you're welcome." Your face felt like it was on fire and sparks were shooting across where your bare skin met his. Gingerly you hugged him back as he twirled you both in a circle. He was so much bigger than you, you felt tiny in his muscle defined arms but oddly enough safe.

When Bokuto set you down Akaashi looked like he was about to scold him again. "Bo...we talked about boundaries."

Bokuto had an embarrassed red tint to his ears but still had his wide infections smile. "Sorry."

"It's okay." You patted Bokuto's chest and smiled up at him and Akaashi, "I get hugs like that from the guys all the time, especially Lev."

Suddenly Hinata was next to you jumping up and down.

"Ahh! You gave me a nickname! The Trojan Whirlwind, so cool! That's that sneaky greek horse right? That's way better than just 'decoy'! You're amazing Y/n!" Hinata exclaimed, wonder twinkled in his eyes.

"I don't know...you really think so?" Excitedly you started to geek out more, talking fast. "Actually I know Karasuno's starting line up. You guys have a pretty talented team! And you guys pick up some tricks from other teams too I noticed. You truly are crows, omnivorous. Kagayama has wicked pinpoint accurate sets, Sawamura's great recives, Nishin—."

"As enlightening as this conversation is we have a game to finish and I don't want to be here any longer than I have to." Tsukishima scoffed adjusting his glasses.

"You don't need to be so rude Tsukishima. Ignore him, he's just salty because he didn't get a cool nickname." Hinata assured you.

You laughed, "No worries. He's right though, I came to watch a game." You glanced at the score board."Hmm. Cats vs Owls and Cats are winning? Here I thought Tetsu's team would be at a disadvantage."

Akaashi stated jabbing his thumb at Hinata and Bokuto, "Why, I've got the shorty and this big baby."

"Because they have to deal with his annoying ass." You snickered and you swore you heard Tsukishima snort as you poked Tetsu in the side. Everyone failed holding in their chuckles.

"Rude, Y/n, rude." Tetsu said as he poked you back.

"You two seem awfully close, are you together?" Hinata questioned, his head tilted to the side.

Lev, Tetsuro and you erupted into a fit a laughter. Between wheezes of catching your breath you answered. "Ew, no. I've know Tets since we were kids, he's like the brother I never wanted. Kenma too infact,  except I actually like him. And besides Tetsuro and Kenma are soulmates, poor Kenma right?"

"Well we did kiss that one time." Kuroo fired back, bringing a finger to his cheek.

Everyone but Tsukishima had 'Huh? Excuse me?!' looks on their faces. It was hilarious.

Laughing rolling your eyes, "We were 13 and it was spin the bottle. You weren't the only one I kissed that night, you're not special. In fact it made my skin crawl."

"That hurts Y/n. But I still love you." Kuroo pouted, crushing you in a hug.

"Disgusting." You smiled up at him while pushing his head away,  "Yeah, yeah love you too idiot. Now get back to your game."

"Aye aye miss manager!" Kuroo called.

"Don't call me that you rooster haired hyena!" You snarked right back while smacking a loose volleyball towards his head, narrowly missing.

"Okay, I see the brother/sister relationship now." Hinata giggled.

You sat on a bench nearby to watch. It was a pretty close game, your leg was bouncing with excitement. You always got this antsy watching a good game. You were taking a drink of your water sideways still trying to watch the game. Maybe if you hadn't been you would've been able to dodge one of Bokuto's crazy strong cut shot spikes after it landed a point. Next thing you know you were on the ground, right side of your face stinging. You let out a low groan sitting up, rubbing your aching cheek.

"Oh my god Y/n! I'm so sorry, are you okay?" The ace asked helping you up.

"Wow! That was a strong kill! It knocked me over even after it hit the floor!" You gushed, stars in your eyes.

Bokuto's face flushed and his golden eyes met yours. How had you not noticed how pretty they were, like the last brilliant rays of sunshine before the sun sets. They flickered with...you don't know what exactly. Like he was trying to remember something maybe? But it was gone as soon as it came. His hand still remaining on your arm. "But are you okay? You're not hurt?"

Shaking your head and giving him a warm smile, "Yeah, I'm fine owl boy. It wouldn't be the first time I took a ball to the face." Your eyes widend, realizing how that sounded. "V-volleyball, it wouldn't be the first time I was hit by a rogue volleyball!" Hopefully your injured cheek was covering up your embarrassment.

Kuroo smirked slapping Bokuto on the back, "Don't worry Bokuto, Y/n's a tough girl. Oh and that's our point, it was out."

You frowned at Tetsuro. "No it wasn't. It was in, barely. Really it was an amazing shot."

"This is favoritism." Tetsu whined.

"No, it's what happened." You pointedly glared at him, ignoring his implications. At least he didn't say anything about the embarrassing words you just said. "Ask Tsukishima then." Everybody turned to the blonde. Tsukishima shrugged, "She's got a good eye, I'll give her that."

You stuck your tongue out at Kuroo. "See. Now go get the point back."

The game continued for another 15 minutes before the Cats won. It was a close game. The long day had hit you as you leaned against Kuroo after helping clean up. You yawned, "Mmm. Good thing you won, otherwise I was gonna up your training regimen."

Kuroo laughed softly, ruffling your hair. "Oh ye of little faith."

Rubbing your tired eyes, "I have all the faith in you, you jerk." You waved to the other players, "Night guys. It was nice officially meeting you." Saying to no one in particular but subconsciously in your sleepy state your gaze landed on Bokuto. "Good luck in your games tomorrow, unless you play Nekoma of course." You were met with a chorus of goodnights and a couple thank yous from Hinata and Akaashi. Only you, Tetsuro, Akaashi and Bokuto remained.

"You able to make it to your room Y/n? You're practically asleep on your feet." Bokuto asked.

"Hm. Oh. Yeah, it'll just take me awhile. I'm slow when I'm sleepy." You replied as you shuffled towards the door, your eyes half closed. You couldn't wait to flop into bed.

Kuroo kneeled down in front of you. "C'mon and climb up. I don't feel like taking forever walking you back."

You snorted as you wrapped your arms around Kuroo's shoulders for a piggy back ride. "Thanks Tets." You murmured as you layed your head down and your eyes fluttered shut. Not fully awake you drifted between slumber and reality.

"She must be exhausted if she's being this openly nice to me." Kuroo chuckled lightly.

"Hey, can 'Kaashi and me walk with you?" Bokuto asked hopeful.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Kuroo said giving Akaashi a

questioning look. The fun loving ace seemed to have a thing for the insightful Nekoma manager. Akaashi being so intuitive of his best friends emotions gave Kuroo a small nod. This gave Kuroo an idea because you definitely had a crush on the owl captain. Hopefully you wouldn't kill him later if you remembered. "But be warned. When Y/n is super tired like this, she is a lot more loose with the truth." Kuroo talked as he started walking in the direction of the guest lodging.

"What do ya mean?" Bokuto's brows pinched together in confusion following.

"Hm, watch this. Hey, Y/n what'd think of Hinata?" Kuroo grinned.

"Mm, baby sunshine. To pure for this world, protect at all costs." You mumbled.

"Tsukishima?" Kuroo questioned.

"Fucking tsundere if I ever saw one but cool, I guess." They quietly snickered at your reply.

"How 'bout Akaashi?" Kuroo fired.

"Straightforward and calm. Kindhearted." You answered snuggling into Kuroo's back.

"And how do ya feel about Bokuto?" Kuroo questioned lastly. Suddenly butterflies found a home in Bokuto's stomach waiting for your answer.

"He's sweet and funny," you let out a contented sigh, "handsome too." Okay, Kuroo was glad you didn't say anything too embarrassing. Honestly he wouldn't have been surprised if you'd said 'beef cake' instead of handsome.

The otherwise outgoing male was quiet. You really thought that about him? Someone as smart and beautiful as you? A wide dopey smile made its way onto his face along with a dark blush. "Agaashi, Agaashi! Did you hear what she said! She thinks I'm sweet and funny and handsome!" Bokuto whispered excitedly, not wanting to disturb you.

"Yeah, Yeah I heard her Bo." Akaashi gave his friend a small smile before turning to Kuroo. "Isn't she gonna murder you for this?"

"Maybe....probably. If having Bokuto and Y/n realize they like each other is something that will make her happy in the long run, especially after tomorrow it'll be worth it." Kuroo looked up at the night sky, he knew you were secretly dreading tomorrow and how you really felt about the whole soulmate thing. No matter how hard you tried to hide it from him & Kenma.

"What's tomorrow?" Akaashi wondered.

Bokuto was still in a daze over what you said and something was nagging in the back of his mind. He'd only really met you today so why did you seem so familiar? Unconsciously his fingers drummed against his thigh, where his tattoo was. Lost in thought he didn't hear Kuroo's answer and lagged behind the two males. "It's her 17th birthday."

"You lost me, isn't that typically a good thing?" Akaashi noted.

"How do I word this? Well ya know how not everyone's lucky enough to find their soulmate? Y/n's parents are one of those couples. Don't get me wrong they absolutely love eachother and I think that's why Y/n thinks the tattoos don't really matter. If her parents can find love and happiness together it's like it's proof there isn't just one person in the universe just for you. And she probably thinks she's one of those people who won't be able to find their soulmate. She never said any of this to me directly but I've guessed as much and she once said 'the world is a vast place to find the one person you're meant to be with'." Kuroo looked over his shoulder at you, his eyes soft. "So if I can nudge her in the right direction to help her get what her parents have, to make her happy, I'll do it. I owe her that much."

"I see. It's poetic in a way. I mean you really can't help who you fall for, soulmate tattoo or not. You just might fall more for the one you were destined to be with. And what do you mean by 'you owe her'?" Akaashi shrugged, he could understand where you were coming from. He'd had his tattoo for almost half a year and never felt anything. He also knew Bokuto had never felt that tingle of a nearby soulmate and he had had his for almost 3 times that long. And he also knew it saddened Bokuto when he was asked about it, that's why he kept it covered most of the time. He thought as he fingered the tiny tattoo on the inside of his left elbow. A coffee mug and an open manga book.

"Oh that's a funny story actually. I wasn't as outgoing as a kid, barely talked to anyone. So one day this girl and boy come over to me, Y/n and Kenma. And she said 'I've seen you all by yourself every day and you shouldn't be sad and lonely...so we're all friends now kay?', just like that. Honestly she was so bright I couldn't have said no even if I wanted to. I don't think she would have let me either. Even at six she was a force to be reckoned with." Kuroo laughed softly. "So because of Y/n I was fortunate to have my soulmate so early on in my life and fall for him before I even got my tattoo."

Akaashi looked to Bokuto, "Yeah, I'd do the same thing for that goofy bastard."

Kuroo gave Akaashi a devilish grin, "So, you in for trying to get these two love birds together?"

Akaashi smirked back, "Bo's got a big heart but sometimes has trouble expressing it the way he wants to. I'm in."

They had made it to where the boys and girls rooms split off. "Night guys. See ya tomorrow." With a wry grin, "Y/n say goodnight to Akaashi and Bokuto."

"Mm 'night Akaashi." Your arms tightened around Kuroo's shoulders and you murmured still in your vulnerable half asleep state, "Goodnight Kotaro."

Both Kuroo and Akaashi's gaze darted to Bokuto. He was looking at you with such softness in his eyes that they might have thought he was already half in love with you. It was like Akaashi and Kuroo weren't even there. "Goodnight Y/n." Brushing a stray hair from your face he whispered with a gentle tone Akaashi had never heard from his captian. Yep he was definitely smitten.

"Night Kuroo, Y/n." Akaashi grabbed Bokuto's shirt tugging him in the direction of the boys rooms. "Come on you love sick owl."

"I-. Uh." Bokuto stuttered before saying goodnight to the Nekoma captian. As Bokuto was being dragged away Kuroo heard him say, "Hey wait! I'm not love sick!....am I?"

Kuroo laughed at Bokuto's words. If anyone knew if Bokuto was love sick, it'd be Akaashi. A few minutes later you were at your door for your room. Tetsuro carefully set you down making sure you wouldn't fall on your face. "Hey, Y/n we're at your room."

"Hmm. Thanks Tets. Ya know you're not completely annoying. I'm glad you and Kens have each other." You told him with your hand on the doorknob.

"Only cause of you." He bit his lip, he had one more question to ask while you were still painfully truthful. He wanted to make sure his and Akaashi's plans could work. "Can I ask ya something?"

"Mmhmm." You hummed crossing your arms and resting against the door.

"You like Bokuto, right?" Tetsu asked you.

A sad smile splayed on your lips. "Yeah but it doesn't matter. He seems like the 'wait for your soulmate' type so it's pointless hoping he could like me back." You opened the door.

"Y/n..." Kuroo heard the hurt in your voice.

"Goodnight Tetsuro." You whispered shutting the door before he could see the tears brimming in your eyes.

Kuroo blew out a breath. Fuck, he was an idiot for not realizing how deep the soulmate wound really went. But you were an idiot too. "You're really oblivious sometimes Y/n." He whispered to the closed door.

You didn't know if it was from being drained or because of tomorrow or some combo of both. But the moment you shut the door the tears that had been resting on your eyelashes fell down your cheeks. While you changed into pj's and washed your face they never stopped. You fell asleep with the glistening trails running onto the pillow and your heart aching for someone you knew you couldn't have.

The next morning you awoke to your whole back and part of your arms tingling. 'The fuck. Really my whole fucking back?' You didn't give to much thought that it was telling you your soulmate was near. You were in the middle of a huge city for fucks sake. You were more pissed at how big it was. You sighed, twisting your head you looked over your shoulder trying to get some idea of what it looked like. All you were able to see was black, grey and white feathers. Their tips reaching just past your shoulders and onto your arms. There's no way you'd be able to cover the whole thing in this heat. 'Oh well'. As you were getting dressed after taking a quick shower you received a couple texts in your group chat with the boys.

Kens 🐱❤🥺: happy birthday y/n, do you want your yearly bd hugs consecutively or throughout the day?

Tets 🐓❤😝: mornin birthday girl! Remind me again why you let kenma's presents be hugs and not mine?

You smiled before replying. They really just knew what to say to cheer you up.

Y/n 💜: thanks guys 😘 throughout the day pls 🥺and because unforced hugs from kenma are ✨special✨ yours not so much.

Tets 🐓❤😝: this is F A V O R I T I S M  😑

Y/n 💜: wbk but yes❤

Y/n 💜: the only good thing about this shit bd is that it means 17 KENMA HUGS! 🥺

Kens 🐱❤🥺: that's it. Omw rn for your first bd hug.

Tets 🐓❤😝: am I a joke to you?

Y/n 💜: okee kens 🥰. Bro you want the truth or nah?

Tets 🐓❤😝: I—. Babe you see this?

Kens🐱❤🥺: Jared, 19. ➖👅➖

Tets 🐓❤😝: I hate you both

Y/n 💜: no you don't

Kens🐱❤🥺: no you don't

Tets 🐓❤😝: your right 😔 see you two at breakfast 💛💜

Y/n 💜: 🖤💛

Kens 🐱❤🥺: 🖤💜

Five minutes later a knock sounded on your door. "Mornin Kenma!" You said brightly opening the door to one of your besties.

"Mornin." He mumbled wrapping his arms around you.

You didn't realize how bad you needed this. Your hands tightly clenched his shirt. After letting go you whispered, "Thanks Kens, I needed that."

Kenma pulled you in for another hug. "This one doesn't count. You still have 16 left."

You hugged the dual haired boy back, soaking up the extra special hug. A laugh escaping your lips, "You're the best."

Walking to the dining area you looped your arm through Kenma's. Of course he was playing a game but you didn't mind, you liked watching. You and Kenma had a different kind of friendship, you both didn't care about the long stretches of silence between the two of you. You just enjoyed eachothers company. That's why it surprised you when Kenma spoke. "So Tetsuro said you were at the gym last night with him and the others?"

Your hand brushed against your cheek where you were hit. The memory of Bokuto's hand on your arm and his golden gaze...flushed you answered, "Yeah. It was a good game."

Kenma's eyes flicked to yours before going back to his game. "You know Y/n, it's okay to like him. There's nothing wrong with feeling that way."

Goddammit. Between Kenma's perceptiveness and Tetsu's well intentioned blabbering mouth, nothing got past the setter when it came to you. "I—." You blew out a frustrated breath. "I know. I know. It's just... so fucking hard. My mind and my heart say two different things." You came to a stop at the doorway to the dining room. Your eyes easily found a white and grey haired boy laughing at something between bites. Without you knowing it a small grin spread across your lips and your heart beat a little faster.

Kenma noticed your smile and where you were looking. You looked happy, a light in your face he hadn’t seen since you all were innocent children in the ways of understanding what a soulmate was. "Maybe you should let your heart win this time."

"Maybe." You grabbed Kenma's hand and led him to the Nekoma table where everyone was sitting. Taking a seat next to Lev you asked, "Hey, where's Tets at?" They all had a look of mischief on their faces. "Wha—?" A pair of hands covered your eyes for a few seconds and then were gone. Sitting in front of you was a fancy cupcake with a single candle lit.

"Happy Birthday Y/n." Tetsuro hugged you from behind.

"Happy Birthday to the best manager!" The team shouted. Earning a few looks from the other teams.

"You guys didn't have to do anything for me..." Your heart warmed at their thoughtfulness.

"Nonsense, we're lucky to have you! You've done so much for us, this is the least we could do!" Tora gave you a thumbs up.

"How could we not do something for you, you take care of us." Lev nudge your shoulder gently.

"Yeah, you make my life easier by dealing with Lev." Yaku announced.

"Hey!" Lev yelled, insulted.

"Thanks guys. I'm only the best manager because I've got the best team to back it up." A wide happy smile split your face.

"Blow out your candle and make a wish." Tetsu suggested.

You closed your eyes making your wish as you blew out the candle. You dared to wish for something you wouldn't have if not for the conversation you just had with Kenma. You wished maybe, just maybe for a chance at love.

"What'da wish for?" Lev asked.

"For you guys to win all your practice games!" Bringing a finger to your lips, "But really I can't tell, or it won't come true." You gave him a wink.

A pair of flapping arms caught your attention. Of course they were attached to a certain owl boy. Once Bokuto realized he got your attention he gave you a big smile and waved. You let out a small giggle and gave a bright smile. You lifted your hand and returned the wave, your fingers wiggling in the air. Bokuto turned to say something to Akaashi, his face pink. But you didn't notice. Kuroo had playfully tugged on a piece of your hair.

"Oya?" Tetsu smirked at you.

"Oh hush." You said slyly but the smile on your face and blush on your cheeks lingered. "Go eat your breakfast, you have a lot of games to win today and need your strength."

Tetsuro stuck his tongue out. "Yes, miss manager."

You were so happy you'd almost forgotten the constant tingle on your back.

It was the end of the day and Nekomas last game was almost over. The other teams coach had called a time out to try and break Nekoma's momentum. All day you had been rolling your shoulders uselessly, trying to get rid of the ghost like feeling of someone's fingers dancing across the skin of your back. It was really starting to fucking irritate you.

"You okay Y/n? You've been doing that all day." Kenma had observed.

Tetsu came over and wrapped his arms around his soulmate, resting his chin on the crown of Kenma's head. God they were disgustingly cute sometimes. "Whatssup?"

You gave them a sour face. "My soulmate tattoo. It hasn't stopped prickling since I got the damn thing. Not to mention it's on my whole fuckin back and part of my arms." You pulled your sleeve up a little to reveal the tips of feathers. Kuroo was practically radiating excitement. You knew exactly what he was going to say.

"That's great! It means your soulmate is probably at this camp! RIGHT NOW!" Tets almost shouted.

You rolled your eyes. "I'm not that lucky. We're in the middle of a huge city. You know how many people live in a 2 mile radius of here?" Your eyes trailed to the other game you'd been keeping watch on. Or rather player. "...Besides, my hearts kinda already stuck on someone." You admitted out loud. Bokuto seemed more exuberant and carefree today. Even after getting blocked a couple times he was still glowing. Your lips twitched at the untroubled ace. His aura infectious. You were pulled out of your daydream when Tetsuro pulled at the back of your shirt, trying to look at your tattoo. You slapped his hand away. "What do you think your doing?!" You hissed.

He blinked at you innocently. "I just wanted to see."

"Tetsuro, if Y/n doesn't want to show us that's her business." Kenma scolded.

"It's not that, just not right now. You guys are in the middle of a  game...and Coach would kill me." Laughing at Tets getting reprimanded by Kenma.

"I don't know, could give us an edge and distract the other team." Tetsu joked.

You chuckled, "Yeah and probably incapacitate Tora, embarrass Lev to the point where he'd be useless, Yaku would yell at anyone who dared to look, and Inuoka would probably try and cover me up without looking."

Tetsuro tried holding in his cackling and Kenma had a rare wide grin on his face. "Okay, okay. You're right. Only we two are immune to your beauty and charm."

You snorted. "Whatever. Now go win this game and make my wish come true or else." You said as you pushed them towards the rest of the team.

The first thing Akaashi woke up to this morning was Bokuto screeching about how his tattoo was tingling. At first Akaashi wondered, today was your 17th birthday...maybe? No they were in a big city. Bokuto's soulmate probably just happened to be nearby today. But then he couldn't stop talking about how you waved and smiled at him at breakfast. So maybe his attitude wasn't due just to his tattoo. He was in the best mood Akaashi had ever seen. Even failed plays didn't bring him down. Akaashi really didn't put it all together until he saw his best friend rub at his thigh, right over his tattoo. "Bo, your leg good?"

"Yeah! It's great. It's just hasn't stopped prickling." Bokuto beamed. "My soulmate must live by the high school or something 'Kaashi!"

'Was this himbo so far gone in his daze last night he didn't hear Kuroo say your birthday was today? And didn't he see the whole Nekoma team wish you a happy birthday at breakfast?' Akaashi thought to himself. "Or something." Akaashi muttered. His eyes gleamed with knowing. He made it his mission to get you two oblivious fools to realize what exactly you were to eachother by the end of today.

After the last game all the coaches surprised everyone with a barbecue for everybodies hard work. You were waiting by the grill with Tetsu and Kenma, waiting for the food to be done. You were starving and the aroma of meat was only making your hunger worsen.

"Hey, here comes your man!" Tetsuro whispered in your ear while playfully nudging you.

Your stomach growled loudly as you swatted at Kuroo. "Food now. Man later."

"You're right. Priorities." Kuroo chuckled holding up his hands. "But that doesn't seem to be stopping Bokuto and Akaashi from coming over here."

You glanced at the Fukurodani duo. Hunger forgotten.  "Holy fuck." You whispered. Bokuto Kotaro was not wearing his long knee sleeves. Your face flushed, "No wonder he wears those things. He'd be too powerful otherwise, no one would pay attention to the ball." Your eyes snagging on the rather large tattoo on his left thigh. A  cats face, half normal with a y/c eye and half skeletal. And nestled behind the skeleton side was...your favorite flower? It was just a coincidence, lots of people have the same favorite flower and your eye color. Maybe you were biased but you thought it was pretty.

Tetsuro snapped you out of your thoughts with a snort. "Simp much? And is that drool from the bbq...or the cake headed this way."

"Oh, that was a mistake." Kenma commented while playing his game. "It's going to be mildly inconvenient to replace you but you will be missed."

Casually you answered back, "Shuddup. Takes one to know one. I seem to recall certain screenshots that would look great posted on Twitter."

At that moment the Fukurodani pair made it to where you were. "Hey hey hey! What would look great posted on Twitter?" Bokuto asked with a smile.

You smirked at Tetsu, opening your mouth, "Tets caught being—." Tetsuro smacked a hand over your mouth.

"Nothing!" Changing the subject, "Y/n was just about to show us her tattoo. Right?" You licked his hand. "Gross. You don't know where my hand has been, you know how many microbes could be on there!" He yelled wiping it off.

You shrugged, grinning. "I have an excellent immune system." Clearing your throat, "Hey Akaashi," Your cheeks rosied under Bokuto's golden gaze. "H-hey Bokuto."

"Your soulmate tattoo? Cool, usually I keep mine covered but I felt like letting loose today after practice." He smiled lifting his leg. Akaashi groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. How was his best friend this dense?

You crossed your arms to keep the urge to trace it with your fingertips in check. "Er, yeah. I don't even really know what it is. It's on my back and part of my arms. All I know is it has feathers. Yours is gorgeous and interesting though."

"Why don't you have Kuroo take a picture of it so you can see it?" Bokuto suggested.

"That is a great idea Bokuto!" Rubbing his hands together, "C'mere Y/n, let me see that tattoo."

You rolled your eyes. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were a perv, Tets. I know I'm pretty but think of Kenma."

"Kenma is nothing more to me than a soulmate! I swear!" Kuroo joked.

"Back at ya babe." Kenma replied not looking away from his games. He had long become immune to yours and Kuroo's antics.

"You guys are strange but I'm used to weirdos." Akaashi smirked.

You poked your tongue out at Akaashi, "You say that like its a bad thing." You conceded. "Alright alright. I'll show you after we eat." You were curious about what was on your back.

"Y/nnnnnn. Why must you torture me?" Kuroo complained.

"I ain't ever seen two agreeable best friends, one of em always gotta be a whiney little bitch." You said to Tetsuro.

"So you admit I'm your bestie! Wait- I'm not whiney!" Kuroo exclaimed.

You cackled, "So you admit you're a little bitch?" Your eyes wandering, catching on a small girl holding an empty plate trembling in the middle of a bunch of boys. "I gotta do something, I'll be right back guys." You made your way over to the tiny girl.

"Oi!" Kuroo yelled after you.

"I mean she's not wrong." Akaashi snickered.

"Kenma, Y/n and Akaashi are being mean." Kuroo pouted.

"Show me the lie and I'll defend you." Kenma teased his soulmate.

"I hate it here." Kuroo crossed his arms.

Akaashi nudged him, talking lowly. "While Y/n's gone and Bo's distracted by the food. I found something out." Akaashi had a small impish grin, "I'm 99% sure Bokuto and Y/n are soulmates."

Kuroo's eyes widend. "No fuckin way! How?"

"Well Bo woke up this morning yelling about his tattoo tingling. It's the first time. And then during the last game I noticed he kept massaging his leg. I thought maybe he strained it but I asked and he said it hadn't stopped prickling all day. He thinks his soulmate must live by the high school. The himbo didn't hear it was her birthday today apparently." Akaashi explained.

Kuroo's mouth gaped open. "I think your right. Y/n said hers has been bugging her all day. But she also thinks it's someone out in the city." Kuroo looked to you then to Bokuto. "Holy fucking shit."

You pushed your way through the guys surrounding the girl, "Excuse me boys! Can't you see your frightening the poor thing?" You shooed them away. You knew they were just trying to be friendly but sometimes they didn't know how intimidating they can be. You gave a big smile to the blonde girl in front of you. "Hey, you're one of Karasuno's managers right? I'm Nekomas, my names Y/n. Are you okay? I know the guys can seem scary but most of em are just big softies." You punch one of your hands with the other, "And if they aren't you just have to seem scarier."

She returned a small smile. "H-hi. Yeah, I j-just joined. My names Y-yachi. Hinata mentioned you. He said you were nice. And t-that you gave him a nickname?"

"Really? I actually just joined a couple weeks ago but I've been watching my friends play forever." You blushed slightly at Hinata's compliment. "Er, yeah. I'm kinda a volleyball nerd and it seemed to fit him." You laughed.

"What did you mean by 'seem scarier'?" Yachi timidly asked.

"In my case I just use my scary face to keep Kuroo in line and mess with him...well and for jerks. Watch." You turned to face Tetsuro with dead eyes and your face emotionless except for the creepy grin plastered on. In a sing-song voice, "Kuroo Tetsuro!"

You only use his full name when he's in trouble trouble. Stepping behind Kenma for protection, "I didn't even do anything!"

"I know." You winked and softend your smile to a friendly one. Turning back to Yachi, "See, just pretend to be even more badass then you actually are. Give me your best scary face."

"I'm not badass, not like you..." Yachi murmured.

You snorted. "I don't know, taking on a rowdy buncha boys from Karasuno? Seems pretty badass to me."

Yachi gave you a small smile. "Ok." You could see the gears turning in her mind. Then she gave you her best scary-badass face.

"Perfect! No one will mess with you with that face!" You said excitedly. "It actually kinda reminds me of the look your setter gives Hinata if he messes up."

Yachi giggled. "Kageyama's angry face is the scariest thing I've seen."

"Ready to put your new skill to the test?" You raised an eyebrow.

With a determined nod she walked to the nearest grill and cleared her throat. "Excuse me."

A couple boys turned, "Hey, cu....tie." Their faces paled slightly and their words trailed off. As they stepped aside leaving their spots at the grill open, "Ah, nevermind." 

You chuckled lightly as Yachi turned around with a plate full of meat and veggies. Giving her a thumbs up as she walked back to you. "See I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks Y/n!" Yachi smiled.

"No prob-." Right then your stomach growled ferociously. Embarrassed you replied, "-lem. Um I better go and get some food before those heathens eat it all and my stomach decides to eat itself. Bye, Yachi!"

"See ya Y/n!" Yachi waved goodbye.

Making your way back to your little group your mouth watered. God you were starving and there was a juicy looking piece of meat in front of Tetsuro. Probably his but you have just as quick reflexes as him. With your chopsticks you grabbed it quickly while he was talking to Kenma. A second later another pair barely missing said BBQ. "Haha, too slow Tets!" You teased bringing the BBQ closer to your mouth. Except it wasn't Tetsuro.

"Damn Y/n, you're quick!" Bokuto laughed.

"Oh. Sorry, I assumed that was Tetsu's food. Here you take it." Your cheeks rosied as you set the food on his plate.

"No, it was his. I was just going to steal it. BBQ meats my favorite." Bokuto grinned, his eyes crinkling. "Do you want to share? I haven't seen you eat anything yet."

"Sure, us food pilferers gotta stick together!" You nudged his side playfully.

"Kenma, Akaashi!" Kuroo whispered fiercely. "You seein this shit?!"

"Wow." Kenmas eyes widened slightly.

"Whoa, Bo is sharing BBQ meat. That's big." Akaashi commented while turning to hand a cup of water to a choking Kageyama, completely unfazed.

"Y/n sharing food at all is...unnatural. You wouldn't want to get between her and her food, especially when she's hungry." Kuroo's eyes looked distant as he shivered remembering the one time he made such a mistake. "It's not pretty, trust me."

You turned to the three boys swallowing the mouthful you had. "My shit talkin radar is going off. You talkin smack, Tets?"

Tetsuro smirked, "No, just observing that you're actually sharing food with someone."

You puffed your cheeks out in embarrassment. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I share...sometimes."

"Random stray animals don't count." Kuroo laughed.

"They do too! They're just so cute and I want to give them all the love they deserve." You pouted.

"So does that make Bokuto a stray that needs all the love?" Akaashi teased.

"And that you think he's cute?" Kuroo questioned.

Bokuto's ears perked at the sound of his name and heard Akaashi and Kuroo's questions. It took everything in him to keep his face neutral and not look like he was eager waiting for what you would say.

He did not do a good a job as he thought he was doing.

Your mouth gaped open as your cheeks flushed. You glanced at Bokuto. His face was as flushed as yours felt and it looked like he wanted to take a step closer to you, he was leaning so close. Maybe you should take a chance. Besides the obvious dislike of today in general, you felt an air of hope also. Taking a sharp inhale through your nose you said quietly, "Well, you'd have to be a blind idiot to not think he's attractive. And I'm not blind nor an idiot so." You shrugged your shoulders while shoving a bite of food into your mouth. Akaashi and Kuroo had shocked expressions on their faces. They were not expecting you to admit it. Kenma had a small smile that said he was proud of you. Bokuto was practically glowing. You cleared your throat, changing subject. "So, we're done eating now yeah? I promised to show you my soulmate tattoo and I'm a woman of my word." You handed Tetsuro your phone. "Bokuto had the idea you take a picture so I can see the whole thing." In a small voice you asked, "Can you, please?"

That fear in your voice snapped Kuroo out of his shock. "Y/n, I know I've been giving you shit about it but really you don't have to." Tetsu spoke quietly pulling you into a gentle hug.

Kenma sensed your discomfort and wormed his way into your and Tetsu's hug, giving you your last birthday hug. "He's right. Don't force yourself if you don't want to."

You shook your head, squeezing tight your two best friends. "No, I want to. Curious even but...I know it's stupid but I'm scared."

"That's okay. We're here for you." Tets whispered.

"No matter what." Kenma replied.

"I love you guys, thanks." You nodded letting go. A wry smile gracing your lips. "How fitting my 17th birthday hug be right before the big reveal." You clapped your hands together, getting back to business. "Ight, let's see what this big badass bitch looks like." With that you twirled on your heel and pulled your shirt just over your head, leaving your arms in; your back facing the group of 4 boys. You did have some modesty being as you were surrounded by 150+ people.

"Oh damn! You weren't kidding Y/n. It really does take up your whole back." Kuroo said shocked as he took in the tattoo smiling.

You rolled your eyes. "Well not all of us can have cute little dainty ones like you and Kens." Testu had a little gaming controller on his inner bicep and Kens had the chemical formula for love on his ribcage. Lucky bastards.

You heard Kenmas quiet voice. "Y/n, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." You heard the click of your phone taking the picture.

"It's actually quite lovely too." Akaashi complimented as his theory was confirmed.

"Wow." You heard Bokuto murmur and before you could turn around you felt a finger delicately trace your back. You inhaled sharply as that sensation overrode the tingling of your tattoo. Was Tetsu being a creep? Or..? An awkward cough pulled you out of your thoughts and the finger gliding across your skin disappeared. Slipping your shirt back on you turned around. To be face to face with Bokuto. Was he the one touching you like that?! Your face turned a violent shade of red and your brain was glitching. Bokuto was staring at you intensely, his eyes zeroing in on yours.

Kuroo nudged your shoulder a wild grin on his face. "Here ya go Y/n." He sang song.

Breaking eye contact from Bokuto and looking at your phone you gasped. You were met with the same golden sunset eyes you'd recognize anywhere. The very same ones you were just staring into. Only it wasn't  Bokuto's face looking back at you. This time it was a grey, black and white owl with its wings spread in flight against a night sky filled with stars. And a handful of the stars were made into a constellation of a volleyball. No. No way was it possible. You looked up into the bright metallic eyes you had fell hard for. "You...?"

One of Bokuto's warm hands cupped your cheek tilting your head up. Leaning down he whispered, "I knew I remembered those eyes from somewhere."

His lips were on yours and stealing the breath from you. Eyes fluttering shut, your tattoo had finally stopped tingling and the knot in your heart loosened. Bokuto fucking Kotaro, the boy your heart had already started to fall for, was your soulmate. Suddenly you were lifted off the ground. Instinctively your legs wound their way around his waist and your arms twined around his shoulders, one hand in his hair. Bokuto lightly bit your lip making you gasp and open your mouth. His tongue darting inside to meet yours. A supernova of explosions were crackling in your veins. If he hadn't been holding you you would have fell due to the fact your legs becoming jelly. Your lungs were beginning to strain from lack of oxygen but you didn't care. You didn't need air when your nerves were buzzing alive from the contact with Bokuto. You didn't know how long you two had been kissing but Bokuto pulled away just enough. Both of you were breathing hard. "I promised myself that would be the first thing I did when I found my soulmate. When I found you."

A breathy laugh left you. "I'm gonna have to add kissing to the list of skills you have, Bokuto."

"Oh?" He smiled fondly at you. "Ya know Y/n you can call me Kotaro. Like last night."

Your brow furrowed. "I didn't—" Hazy memories of last night after the game came to you in flashes. You did use his given name. But more embarrassing is what you'd said about him in your frustratingly truthful state. A vulnerability only a few knew about. You were going to kill him. Or at least make him think so. "Hey Kotaro could you set me down for a sec please."

"Sure thing, baby owl." Kotaro set you down gently and kissed your cheek.

You blushed at the pet name and the soft kiss. Turning to the others you started to count silently on your fingers.

"What are you doing?" Akaashi questioned confusedly. He thought you would have been overjoyed at the fact you and Bo were soulmates.

"Oh I'm counting the ingredients  I need to buy for apple pie for Kenma. Kens how many pies do you think you'll need to get over Tets' death?" You smiled sunnily at Tetsuro.

"Hmmm. I think five would be good." Kenma replied.

"I am worth way more than 5! Wait, what?" Tetsuro panicked. "I promise Y/n I had the purest of intentions!"

You took a step towards Kuroo and he took one back. "Oh?"  You started chasing after Tetsu and he only made it a few feet before you tackled him.

"Y/n please don't kill me! Akaashi and I realized you and Bokuto liked eachother and we thought this would get the ball rolling, honest!" To say Kuroo was shocked when you hugged him would be an understatement. You weren't killing him?

Unwinding your arms from his neck you pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Thanks Tets, for making me join the team" you mumbled, "and for helping with Ko."

Kuroo grinned. "HEY BABE! DID YA HEAR Y/N THANKING ME?! Y/N. THANKING. ME."

You rolled your eyes still smiling and pushed Tetsuro away. "And moments ruined." Once you made your way back to the group you snuggled yourself up against Kotaro's side and he wrapped his arm around you. Looking towards Akaashi you thanked him also. " Thank you for nudging us together so if you ever have a sweet tooth for a baked good, I'm your girl."

Kotaro kissed the top of your head. "My sweet girl."

"Oh you don't have to do that. I'm just happy Bo is happy, that's good enough for me." Keiji chuckled.

"Trust me Akaashi, you'll definitely want to take her up on her offer. Her apple pies are delicious and she makes mine and Tetsu's birthday cake every year too." Kenma added while still playing his game. You blushed at his compliment.

"Alright then, I will." Akaashi nodded.

"What about me?" Kotaro squeezed you & had a little bit of a pout.

You reached up on your toes and pulled him down to kiss his forehead. "For you, owl boy, I'll make a whole bakeries worth." You pecked him on the lips.

"Ew. Is this what me and Kenma are like?" Tetsu's face was all screwed up in disgust. "There is no way we are that bad. Right Kitten?" He declared as he was hugging Kenma from behind with his chin resting on Kenma's head. You've noticed that's his favorite way to be lovey.

"You are." Kens replied.

"Sorry bro but the love of your life is right." You giggled.

"I honestly don't know how I put up with you two. I deserve a medal." Tets said bewildered.

"Sure bestie. Sure you do." You ruffled his already messy hair.

"Don't patronize me." He pointed a finger at you.

You batted your eyelashes. "Me? Never."

Kuroo looked at Bokuto. "Y/n is your problem now. Good luck bro."

Incredulously you yelled. "HEY I'M NOT—"

Kotaro squeezed you tighter with one arm & with the other gently tilted your chin up, making you look at him. You could feel your heart go all soft looking into those golden eyes. "You're not a problem. Your my soulmate. I can't wait to get to know you and fall even more in love with you." He leaned in closer giving you another one of those earth shattering kisses.

This boy. This boy made your heart flutter, your stomach swirl... and your brain dumb. Thats why when he regretfully pulled away the only thing that came out of your stupid mouth was a whispered "Oh."

"Damn Bo way to make literally the whole camp feel single." Kuroo laughed. "Akaashi did you know that he was such a Casanova?"

Keiji nodded while eating a slice of watermelon & swallowed before answering. "I knew he was a romantic but not this intense."

A few hours later everyone was waiting to get on their busses to go home. You waved goodbye to the new friends you had made. However you and Kotaro were holding on to one another. You'd only just found eachother and now you had to say goodbye. You bit your lip. "I don't want to go yet." A few hours together had turned you into a mess.

"Hey, baby owl," His thumb traced your cheek, "its okay. We don't live that far from eachother. We'll see eachother all the time and talk on the phone yeah?"

You leaned into his warm touch. "You're right." You turned to kiss his palm. His cheeks flushed. He was also a mess. "So call me when you get home, to let me you got there okay, alright?"

At first his lips brushed yours then he deepened the kiss. Just as your lungs were about to scream he pulled away but just barely. Whispering "Looking forward to it."

That night you talked until the brightest of stars dimmed and the sun rose. Turning the sky a swath of pink, orange and a color that was quickly becoming your favorite. A color that reminded you of your soulmates sunshine eyes.

#haikyuu #haikyuu!! #bokuto kotaro #bokuto x reader #bokuto x fem!reader #soulmate au #a dash of kuroken #hes so sweet and for what 🥺 #i love a beefy owl himbo and his name is Kotaro #it is his day & his day only #happy birthday bby #my tiny blog

[soapyakships]

congratulations on 5k!!! i always loved your hq art and although i'm not familiar with prosekai, i still enjoy seeing you on the dash bc your art is so cute 🥰 if you're willing, can i request some kuroken? 🥹

im a kuroken lover before anything else

#kuroken #my art #krkn been there for me since the old ages #like literally #kenma was my first digital art ive ever made

[conartisthaiji]

It's award season (unconfirmed)! Give some of your mutuals silly little awards.

WELCOME TO LYZ'S MUTUALS AWARDS CEREMONY

@prick-love-for-pricking wins the Architect Committee Award (hands you a mini building that also stores post-it notes)

@pathos-logical wins the Number One Image Descriptor Award (cannot thank u enough for ur service)

@setsu-nana wins the WLW Anime Award (thanks for putting bocchi on my dash; it's why i watched it)

@literalliterature wins the Best Dndtual Award (how are keet and yonder doing btw)

@lovenergy wins the Lovetual Award (yes it's in the name but also ur so sweet like that is such a suitable url for you)

@ghostpot wins the Kuroken Award (your kuroken is still my fave <3)

@clementinecoastline wins the Number One Genshin Impactual Award (may ao3 user heartslogos continue to feed you)

@wormcoded wins the Number One Bugtual Award (gives you a moth)

@verytendou wins the Yuri Soldier Award (we're going to make runayachi win the hqfemslash bracket or die trying)

(we interrupt this program to ask if you have voted for runayachi yet)

@artiemisiaa wins the Vocaloidtual Award (i have learned so much about miku and the other vocaloids thru you)

@reineyday wins the Kuroyaku Award (kuroo and yaku will now kiss)

@snackzimmerman wins the Check Pleasetual Award (in all my years on tumblr you are the ONLY mutual who puts check please on my dash)

@mistarover wins the Number One Boy Grouptual Award (keep putting men on my dash)

@theirtheretheyre wins the Autism Award (congrats)

@monstrsball wins the Iwa(oi)suga Award (iwaizumi and suga will now kiss)

@kimbapisnotsushi wins the Bravery Award (you are genuinely so brave. and willing to commit to things. i appreciate it)

@huiplash wins Mutual of the Year (who else will have matching bios with me)

and all my other mutuals have won a big kith <3 thanks for being mutuals with me xoxo

thanks for attending LOL

#lyz talks #oh my goddd this was actually so challenging??? coming up with the awards was so hard i spent too long on this #also i have some new mutuals (and mutuals through itachiyamaas/runayachi. im terrible with tracking the sideblog mutuals sowwy) #BUT DONT WORRY I STILL LOVE YOU!! next time ill give u an award because u deserve one too xoxo #and ofc some older mutuals who i dont really talk to but i still cherish our interactions!!! thanks for sticking around #and finally...to the few irls on here. idk if you'll see this post but: i love you. text me <3

[weathertheraine]

kenhina

KENHINA !! THEY!

I like them !! I don’t seek out romantic content for them, but I’ll be happy to see it come across my dash they’re rlly good !! I maybe like them as qpr especially (maybe even More in the context of romantic kuroken ??) Like - the idea that someone can just be Really important, can be a soulmate, and that doesn’t have to be romantic. I do also think they’re cute as a couple, but I prefer it as a platonic pairing.

Tysm for the ask! Here’s the bingo!!

#kenhina #shipping bingo #teddy talks #not art

[floof-ghostie]

You know, I have never watched/read Death Note and have no intention of doing so but I can confidently say I am a MelloMatt shipper thanks to the posts you put on my dash.

It's my way of repaying you for putting me onto KuroKen <3

#ask

[neon-gin]

your art style is so pretty i love it 🥺 i’m always happy seeing your posts on my dash (especially kuroken)! thank you for sharing it with us 💕

Thank youuu!! You made my day~~~

I'm glad you like my art🥰

[pixelwisp-archive]

what about college au + yamaguchi

College AU + Yamaguchi

"If you keep staring like that, you're gonna get slapped with a restraining order."

Yamaguchi gasped, shooting a panicked glare over to Kenma as his finger came up to his lips in a silent plea to 'please god shut the fuck up.'

"Will you shush? They're gonna hear you," Yamaguchi whispered as he buried his reddened face into his hands.

"Tadashi, you've been ogling the TA for nearly three months now. Do you plan on making a move? Or are you just gonna pine hopelessly until the semester ends?" Kenma barely spared a glance toward Yamaguchi, finding the contents of his phone far more interesting than his olive haired friend floundering at the mere mention of their utterly adorable teaching assistant.

"I will! Soon. Probably. Maybe." Yamaguchi's eyes landed on you once more, watching as you leaned over to help another student with their current assignment. He looked like a lovelorn puppy as he fawned over you from across the room, hand coming up to rest on his cheek as he sighed. Kenma snorted.

"Preferably before we die." Yams turned to throw an equally snippy comment back his way, but squeaked when he saw you coming over to them with a smile.

"Kenmathey'recomingoverhereohgodwhatdoIdo-"

"Hey guys! How're you doin'? Were you guys able to grasp the material okay?" Yamaguchi was 90 percent sure his soul ascended from his body, but he managed to utter out a weak nod nonetheless. When you walked over to his side and leaned down to take a look at his laptop, that 10 percent of uncertainty jumped ship, leaving only the husk of Tadashi Yamaguchi in its wake.

"Wow Yamaguchi, I'm impressed! This stuff isn't easy, but you picked it up pretty quickly!" He bloomed at the praise; a deep blush spread across his cheeks as he mustered a sheepish grin.

"T-thank you, L/n!"

His heart (and his mind) stuttered at the way you grinned at him, the pride beaming off of you like sunshine. He subconsciously shrunk in his seat as any words he tried to muster died before they reached his tongue - all he could do was stare as you worked your magic on his laptop, tidying up and making sure the code was dry as possible. He was stunned, nervous, utterly enamored - nauseous? No, lovesick - and it wasn't until he realized he was no longer watching you that he noticed you had made your way over to Kenma's laptop.

"Woah, hey, nice use of Context. You're ahead of the game, Ken."

"Thanks, Y/n." Kenma shot Yamaguchi a look - one that anybody who didn't know Kenma would assume was apathetic at best - but Yams took note of the smugness that oozed off him and, quite frankly, he didn't appreciate it at all.

As soon as you were out of ear shot, Yamaguchi spun toward Kenma with narrowed eyes. "Two can play at that game, you know. What's the name of your chemistry TA again? Kuroo?" Kenma's face fell into a scowl and he straightened in his seat, turning his attention back to his laptop with pink ears. Yamaguchi snickered before turning his attention back to his own laptop, giving his code a once over before deeming it acceptable to submit. Once he reached the bottom of the component, he froze, eyes wide as he met your gaze. You threw him a small wave and a shy smile, and Yamaguchi felt a whirlwind of confidence as he nudged Kenma with a grin and pointed to his screen.

'//If only I had overheard you three months ago :) call me @ xxx-xxx-xxxx’

Okay, maybe making a move would be easier than he thought.

a/n - yams deserves more love!! love this bundle of chaotic nerves, he's such a little gremlin I love him so much<3 Also you just know kenma and yamaguchi would bond if they ended up taking the same major together. I tried my best to use what very limited coding knowledge I've retained from the course I had taken last year but tbh I have no idea if it's coherent lmaooo, oh well - not the end of the world. Hope you guys enjoy!!

Requests are Open!

#yamaguchi x reader #yamaguchi imagine #tadashi yamaguchi #yamaguchi tadashi #hq!! yamaguchi #hq x reader #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!! #haikyuu #hq!! x reader #haikyuu imagines #enjoy the dash of kuroken i put it there because I love them #whispers #ori writes #haikyuu ficlet #x reader #something light and cute - its not my favorite but I like it!

[paintbrushyy]

I love all of you equally, 

Which means I will kick all of your asses equally as hard! 

#GOT IT? #about my dash #followers #blogs #haikyuu!! #kenma #kuroken #bokaka #hhq!! #hq!! #fandom #relatable #humor #love #romance

[ask-kuroo-and-kenma]

ヾ(･ᴗ･｡) what do you guys do on your free time?

#kuroo tetsurou #kozume kenma #kenma #kuroo #haikyuu #haikyuu ask blog #kuroken #thanks for the ask!! #this looks terrible on the dash but not on the blog #anonymous #asked and answered

[washymylifeaway]

Haikyuu fanfic recs for ones I liked hehe

EDIT: I made a pt 2

Anyway, as the title suggests, I am recommending some fanfics for popular(ish) ships that I personally really enjoyed! I’m only doing one or two fics per ship (which in hindsight is KILLING me so I’m just putting the first fics I find and am like I really liked that one LOL) because I wanted to do a shorter fic rec list (tho watch this become super long LOL). I also may or may not be procrastinating finishing a couple other long posts, so there’s that hehe. For the (kinda but not really) public consensus for best fics per ship (by kudo count) check out some of my other posts. Also I’m putting some ships I don’t actually read much of (OOPS LOL) so if you think that there’s a fic that fits my type (if I even have a consistent type) better, pls tell me LOL. Otherwise, pls continue heh :)

As always, pls check WARNINGS, TAGS, and SUMMARIES for fics before reading to make sure you’re taking care of yourselves (since mental health is key!) and stay healthy!

IwaOI:

The Loyalty of a Traitor by DeathBelle (E) 76.9k // ok so does me liking this fic make me basic cause I feel basic LOL. I really love mafia fics, and the way the story line developed was SO good, like IN LOVE with this story. This is a fic where you should read WARNINGS, TAGS, and SUMMARY before diving in, but if the length scares you, don’t be. It’s so easy to fall in and get lost in the writing!

the courtship ritual of the hercules beetle by kittebasu (chanyeol) (T) 66.3k // again, basic? Probably LOL but it’s good so I have no shame ;) Again, pls don’t let the word count scare you (cause it scared me LOL), you get really into it after like 2 paragraphs, so just make sure you have enough time to finish hehe.

KuroKen:

Thicker Than Blood by kylar (M) 91.4k // are you surprised that there is another mafia one? You really shouldn’t be LOL. Anyway, I’ll just be here pushing my mafia fanfic agenda while you read this monster of a fic hehe :) Definitely read WARNINGS, TAGS, and SUMMARY because there is some very sensitive topics involved! I also adore the oibokuroo friendship headcannon, so more reasons to read, right?

Liked, Commented and Subscribed by Royal Society of Pandas (Abarcelos) (T) 45.7k // this fic is SO funny omg. I read it and I had to stop so many times just to laugh because I could not stop sometimes LOL. However, there IS angst towards the end, it gets resolved, but it’s still there... But honestly, it just adds such depth and flavor to the fic, so pls read it!

BokuAka:

bang! now we're even by Authoress (M) 11.9k // so I’ll be honest, I don’t read a lot of BokuAka (...oops?) and so I wouldn’t consider myself as the best person to be recommending fics for this ship (in general too LOL).... ANyway, I love myself some good spy AUs (was gonna put that IwaOi spy AU but the LIMIT), and Akaashi in a dress? Like the tags might state, what more do you need? The characters are done beautifully, and the story development is SO good, so I give you all my humble BokuAka rec.

Crisis Converted by valiantarmor (M) 60k // man do I really love fighting in my fics LOL. This was super good and the plot itself kept me really engaged (what a twist omg). It does talk a bit about mental health issues, but it’s done so well, and they really did this AU justice!

DaiSuga:

How to Manage by SuggestiveScribe (E) 39.3k // ok so yea yea we established, I’m basic, BUT can you blame me? This might’ve been one of the first DaiSuga’s I’ve read and I have no regrets. Literally, this fic series is one of my favorites, so OF COURSE I had to add it somewhere :D Honestly, I don’t even think you need to read the first one to understand what’s going on, but I would just cause it has some funny DaiSuga moments too ;) This is explicit for PWP, so proceed with caution~~

Add New Contact by booksong (G) 8.5k // this one! It’s so cute and poor Daichi LOL. He really out here doing the most,,, Anyway, we love tech Suga, and a nice dash of snarky tsukki (LOL is he salt, yes yes he is). It’s very fluff and pine, so if you want to read Daichi having gay panic like 24/7, go right ahead LOL. 

SakuAtsu:

Burden of Blame by DeathBelle (E) 91.2k // ummmm, haha what, another mafia AU? Me, predictable? Noooo, never..... Anyway, this one was so freakin’ good like, love it so much! It’s one of my favorite mafia AU fics, and I love the story line progression. Poor Atsumu being dragged into this mess, but it’s okay because THEY are IN LOVE. Honestly, this fic is Atsumu best boy like he is the best boy. BEST BOY.

Notte Stellata by awkwardedgeworth (T) 20.9k // I ignored all of the other fics I LOVE in this ship (like the pain I’m in rn), but I love this fic with my whole heart. Like I have reread this fic multiple multiple times because I love it so much (tho I might’ve skipped the angst a couple of times cause I didn’t want the pain okay?). I keep coming back, and the second fic in this series is SO funny and cute and I love it here. Please read it, it’s so FREAKING good, angst and ALL.

KyouHaba:

Team Mom by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead (T) 2.7k // so as I was going through this tag (because that’s what I do LOL), I remembered this fic and I love it. Like yes Yahaba is the fear factor and yes Kyoutani is the DAD. I really like the team dynamics in this one, and the first years make me laugh pls.

Camellias by kiyala (T) 1.9k // IK you’re all like, you’re missing such great fics, like no I’m not I just made myself hate myself by limiting fics to two per,,, I love this fic and when I starting looking for this ship, it was the first one I thought of hehe. I really love magic and their interactions are so cute and the PLANTS ARE DOING THE MOST. Pls read both in the series, cause domestic KyouHaba is best KyouHaba ngl LOL. I love the plants, and if you read the second one, someone tell the trees to stop bullying Yahaba.

MatsuHana:

This gets annoying fast, Makki by Ink_stained_quills (G) 2.3k // IM IN LOVE WITH THIS FIC PLS I COULD NOT STOP CRYING TEARS OF LAUGHTER. This AU needs more fics PLEASE. It was SO freakin’ funny and the other teams KILLED ME. Like how they all approached the problem differently and how some of them (KUROO) asked for help LOL. Please this is so freaking funny go read it.

boiled frogs by reginagalaxia (E) 91.5k // I told myself I was gonna put my most angsty fics on another post (which I will for my other favorite MatsuHana angst fic which I love), but this fic. Omg I saw it and I was like I have to. Literally I have to. I hate angst, but read it. It, the, plot, omg, I jjfnsfknalkjdnf ljksan. Like I’m not sure you understand. This fic. asjfjfsadnldjb. I never thought I could hate a character SO MUCH,,,, like SO MUCH. READ TAGS, WARNINGS, AND SUMMARIES because some serious stuff really goes down. Bless Iwa-chan.

SunaOsa:

Accidentally in Love by pancake_surprise (T) 19.6k // JOSE CUERVO strikes. I love this fic and all the chaos in it. The way they were supposed to be the responsible couple (of friends LOL),,, sike. This one is only a slight angst and it’s mostly love and fun :) Also technically this is no longer the first fic in the series, but I’m still putting this one cause the other one is SakuAtsu orientated hehe :)

Spring Secrets by DeathBelle (T) 3.8k // Seasons might be one of my favorite (as all things also seem to be) series of all times. I don’t like rerecommending fics I’ve already said to read, which is why I’m not yelling at you to go read a certain other fic (which is my life and blood). Anyway, this fic series is all fluff barely angst (maybe that’s why I like it) but it’s so freakin good pls read it all ahhhhhh.

Komori/Suna (what is their ship name):

I wish to live in a world by hatsuna (T) 24.8k // ok ngl this fic was so sad and relatable? Like I was like wtf why are you making me cry rn even though like I shouldn’t be? My heart? Pain. (Hotel? Trivago.) Technically, this is END GAME but the main pairing is kinda SakuAtsu???? Something of the sort, but also their relationship (Komori and Sakusa) is written so well and idk guys I think you need to read this fic rn.

Ah the two fic limit hurt me, but fear not I am making ship specific rec posts (LOL I’m so dramatic), so if you wanted more of a ship,,,, its a coming hehe. And yes I did say I’m making an angsty fic rec post, but we’ll see if it gets finished before I side-track with posts like these LOL.

#haikyuu fanfic rec #why are you guys shipping cousins #why is this a thing #pls what am I supposed to make of SakuKomo #No thank you #what the heck #what is komori and suna's ship name #i can't stop crying about the cousin thing #like im not one to judge interests #but this aint it #I love these fics #am I dramatic? #yes fight me #IwaOi #KuroKen #DaiSuga #SunaOsa #SakuAtsu #MatsuHana #KyouHaba #BokuAka #fanfic #fanfic recs #anime #manga #haikyuu fic recs #haikyuu #hq

[colorseeingchick]

Woke up this morning and

I started crying HAHA

I know 200 may not be a lot to some of you, but I'm so insanely grateful to have 200 ppl who are following me for my writing 🥺

Some thank you's are below the cut. Everyone else, know that I'll be announcing my event later today!

There are many mutuals I have to thank because their friendship definitely keeps me around and motivated to stay on this site.

@kirislut: Meg was the first person to support me with my FIRST piece ever. And the fact that she's supported me throughout, even with my most recent fic yesterday, says so much. Meg is a close friend of mine, and fangirling with her makes me so happy. I'm also one of her biggest fans (I hope you know that Meg) >.<

@hoebirama7: Any time I've spent talking to Victoria has been time well spent. She's insanely talented, kind, and sweet (Victoria your embroidery is absolutely AMAZING). Not to mention, the pictures of Rengoku and Sanemi she's sent me are actively responsible for keeping me alive. Victoria ily <3

@sugurus-princess: I still remember adding El hehe. She'd reblogged a post I'd reblogged- a pic of Kuroo and Bokuto in Indian clothes - and I just remember going ":O Another Indian Anime-lover!?" Since then she's never been afraid to reach out and be kind. She's very bubbly and energetic, it gives me energy :)

@emperor-oikawa: This lil Oikawa Kinnie is a pretty close friend of mine. I actually see her as a younger sister. Her energy is immaculate and her fic ideas are wonderful. I have a KuroKen fic I've promised her from when we first started talking, and I will be following through on it (as soon as I learn how to make SMAUs lmaooo)

@bozowrites: Bozo is an absolute sweetheart and it's clear for everyone to see. I know little to nothing about MCYT, but reading her writing and watching her interact with her followers makes me think this site is less evil than I thought it was. Also shoutout to Bozo for helping me pick my blog theme colors hehe

I have so many other mutuals who I don't get to interact with as much, but I love seeing you guys on my dash. To my many mutuals who have been MIA, I miss you guys and hope you are doing well.

Thank you all for sticking around. I hope to make many more memories with you all !!!!

#CSC hits 200 #I love all my followers #and I love all my mutuals #thank you thank you thank you #into the void with the colorseeingchick

[sickfic-with-kiko]

A request if it’s not too specific: at a joint practice between Nekoma and Fukurodani, Kenma and Akaashi both fall ill. Cue caring Kuroken and BokuAka with the usually goofy Kuroo and Bokuto being concerned and serious for once. Bonus points if: Kenma calls Kuroo “Kuro” and is embarrassed about getting sick in front of everyone; Kuroo is reassuring and calls Kenma kitten; and Bokuto is adorkably worried about Akaashi and is falling over himself trying to do anything to help. No worries if not x

Hello! It’s been a long hiatus, but I am: back! The Bokuto in this ended up having his shit together, I hope this is an enjoyable read anyway!

Sweat drips onto the court, as the ball goes up and is spiked on the opposite side. A shout of victory comes from Fukurodani, as Bokuto high-fives Akaashi. “Did you see my super sharp line shot, Akaashi?!” He exclaims, as Akaashi acknowledges him and nods.

“Damn it, his spikes are in top form today.” Kuroo groans, arms growing red from the receives he’s been doing. “Can’t the guy go into emo mode already?”

“We gotta work for that. Kenma, any ideas?” Yaku turns to Kenma, who looks a little spaced-out.

Kenma glances at Yaku, and opens his mouth slowly. “Uh… We could aim for Bokuto-san more so he’d have to receive instead of spike.” He suggests, his arm discreetly pressing to his stomach.

To tell the truth, Kenma had been feeling off since the practice match had started. Granted, his stamina is far from the best. But this is strange, even for him. He glances at Kuroo, who notices something off.

“You look a bit out of it, Kenma. Is something wrong?” Kuroo asks him straightforwardly, and Kenma ends up shaking his head. His stomach and throat feels a little weird, but it’s not enough for him to sit out. He can still move around and get his head to churn out strategies.

The only thing that’s churning is his stomach, Kenma thinks ruefully. There’s a distinct heaviness in his stomach, that has a slightly sharp edge to it. He feels it gurgle when he throws a toss up to Yamamoto, but it’s much too loud in the court for anyone to notice.

As soon as the spike goes in, Kenma’s mouth fills with watery spit. The unexpected event leaves him confused, as he swallows it down and continues to play. He notices Kuroo and Yaku stare at him for a moment, and for a split second, he wishes he’d told Kuroo he was feeling sick.

Stopping the game will draw attention to himself, and Kenma doesn’t want that. It’ll be Fukurodani’s match point in another two points, and he hopes that they could hurry up and get the set over with. Then, he can disappear quietly out of the court.

“Kenma!”

Kuroo receives the ball, and Kenma knows he’s in perfect position to set it to anyone. He scans the court with his tired eyes, until a strong wave of nausea washes over him. He keeps his feet rooted to the ground, attempting to ride it out. It proves unsuccessful, when he pitches forward with a gurgle at the back of his throat.

Kenma’s eyes widen. There’s no way he can throw up on the court, when everybody’s watching. There’s more than one person staring at him now, wondering what had happened to him. The ball is long forgotten, rolling away from his feet.

“He looks like he’s gonna hurl.” Yamamoto says, eyeing him worriedly.

Kuroo hurries beside him, but even he’s unsure of what to do in this sort of scenario. Nobody could have predicted this situation, where Kenma is two seconds away from losing his lunch all over the court. He reaches over to place his hand onto Kenma’s back, which only agitates him further.

A quiet hiccup comes out of Kenma’s mouth. His stomach clenches, and something warm shifts up to his throat. He covers his mouth in a futile attempt to hold everything in. With a foul-tasting burp, a slurry of vomit pours out of his mouth, and in between his fingers. The entire court is thrown into disarray. Kenma wants to run out sobbing, but his stomach hurts too much and he feels like he’s about to be sick again. There’s a gentle hand on his back, rubbing circles. It’s Kuroo.

“Someone, get a mop! And some water!” Kuroo yells, and the other third years hurry away to help them out. Kenma coughs up another splatter of vomit, not knowing what to do with his soiled hands.

“Kuro… I don’t feel good.” Kenma sobs, in between weak heaves that only bring up clear liquid. Kuroo comforts him through the vomiting, guiding him away from the puddle forming beside him.

Kuroo sits him down at the sidelines, grabbing a towel to wipe his hands and face. “I know, kitten. Just relax a little, and I’ll handle the rest.” He takes a plastic bag and places it into Kenma’s lap, in case he feels nauseous again.

After Kenma gets whisked away to the infirmary, the match restarts on a different court. Bokuto picks up his pace quickly, while Nekoma is at a disadvantage with their setter gone. Despite this, his spikes lack the usual power and control.

For once, it’s not Bokuto’s emo mode. Even Bokuto himself can tell the tosses are weird. “Akaashi, you okay?” He asks, grabbing Akaashi’s hands. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

Akaashi shakes his head. He’s sweating, but there’s still a pale tint to his skin. It doesn’t take long for Bokuto to put two and two together.

“Are you feeling sick?”

Akaashi almost immediately shakes his head. “I’m probably just shaken up,” he murmurs, hand ghosting over his stomach. “I’ll be fine.”

Bokuto nods hesitantly, keeping an eye on Akaashi as he resumes spiking. But with every toss that Akaashi sends, his expression becomes increasingly pained.

When Bokuto extends a hand to forcibly drag Akaashi off the court, it’s pushed away.

“Hey, Akaashi!” He calls out, but Akaashi turns around and dashes off the court. Bokuto shares a glance with his teammates. “I’m gonna check on him!” He follows in Akaashi’s footsteps without wasting a moment. He shouldn’t have gone that far.

It doesn’t take long for Bokuto to find Akaashi. He’s hunched over the taps, breathing harshly. It’s a sign that something is very, very wrong. Akaashi is never hunched.

“Akaashi.” Bokuto gets a flinch in response. Akaashi had been too out of it to even register him coming close. “Where does it hurt? You feel like you’re gonna be sick?”

Akaashi gags, but nothing comes up. Bokuto peers into his face, and finds that he’s actually crying.

“I felt sick for a while after the match started,” Akaashi admits, rubbing his stomach with one hand. “I’m sorry for interrupting the game.”

Bokuto caresses Akaashi’s hair softly. “Hey, none of that, now.” He rubs Akaashi’s cheeks with his thumbs, reassuring him. “It’s just us two here. It’s okay if you need to throw up.”

Bokuto shifts his arm to wrap around Akaashi’s middle. He can feel his stomach gurgling, and wonders how Akaashi had toughed it out for so long. He makes gentle circles with his palm, rubbing the tension out from his stomach.

A weak, silent heave rips out of Akaashi, his stomach contracting under Bokuto’s palm. Only a few drops of spit spill past his lips, but it’s clear that something in his stomach needs to get out. Bokuto adds some pressure to his hand, pressing against Akaashi through his clothes.

That had seemed to do the trick. With a choked gurgle, a rush of sickness splatters into the sink. There’s no holding back now, wave after wave of nausea hitting Akaashi until his entire frame trembles.

“There we go. It’s okay.” Bokuto shushes Akaashi, keeping his touches tender. Akaashi throws up with a painful retch, tears dripping down into the sink below. His stomach cramps with the force of the vomiting. Only pale liquid comes up after four or five heaves.

Bokuto rubs his back as he dry gags, turning the taps on to wash the vomit away. “Let’s get you to the infirmary, okay? He says, as Akaashi scoops some water in his palms to wash out his mouth.

Akaashi nods, too exhausted to argue. “Thank you for comforting me, Bokuto-san.”

When they reach the infirmary, Kuroo is there with Kenma, rubbing his back as he whimpers into his shoulder. “Akaashi’s sick too?” Kuroo asks, and Kenma glances at the two momentarily before he resumes leaning into Kuroo.

“Yep. It’s probably a good idea to have this match another day.” Bokuto shrugs, patting Akaashi’s back. “Our two setters weren’t feeling good.”

Akaashi sits down on the bed, with Bokuto beside him ruffling his hair. “And the captains ditched the game to take care of us.” He adds, smiling.

“And I’ll do it again if I need to!” Bokuto hugs Akaashi hard, momentarily forgetting that he had thrown up a few minutes prior. There’s a shared warmth between the four of them, as they sit huddled together.

#haikyuu sickfic #emeto #Kozume Kenma #akaashi keiji #vomiting

[keijiski]

bloom for you.

kuroken , slight kurotsukki - hanahaki au

word count - 10.0k

The first time Kenma has ever seen a red begonia up close was when he was about ten, forced to leave the safety of his home by Kuroo himself. He has seen red begonias, for sure, but he has never made the effort to actually look at them.

He was sitting by the side of a playground, eyes glued to the device in his hands as he took occasional glances up at the other boy struggling to keep the brand new volleyball in the air.

After a while, when he looked up again for the nth time, his line of sight was only greeted by the familiar ball on the ground. The lack of troubled shouts and ball hitting skin went unnoticed by Kenma as he was too focused in his game before. Where did he go?

“Kuro?”

Putting away his device into his pocket, he hopped off the swing nonchalantly. He then scanned the scene in front of him for clues to Kuroo’s whereabouts. It did not take him long to find Kuroo's foot sticking out from between two bushes.

He walked closer and shock flashed across his face before he could stop himself,”What are you doing, Kuro?”

Kuroo’s full body then came into Kenma’s view, half lying on top of the bushes as he struggled to reach for the flowerbed behind. Said boy however ignored his question, putting full focus on reaching for the flower instead. With a huff, he gave one last push.

“I got it!” Excitedly, Kuroo wiggled out of his awkward position, body covering what was in his grasp.

“Got what?”

Kenma peered over Kuroo’s shoulder curiously with a slight frown. In his hands laid a red flower, its bright and flashy look capturing Kenma’s attention immediately.

“It’s just a flower,” He mentioned instead.

As though offended, Kuroo turned around and scoffed,”It’s not just a flower, Kenma. This is a red begonia! My father taught me a few days ago when we went to the park near school.”

The taller boy waved the flower in Kenma’s face obnoxiously, forcing him to take a step back uncomfortably. The former brought the flower closer to himself, eyes glued to it as though hypnotized. He asked,”Isn’t it pretty?”

Kenma’s gaze moved up. Kuroo’s hazel eyes sparkled in delight and amazement, still intrigued by the vibrant colour of the flower as a small smile started to grow on his face. The long-haired boy did not look back down.

“Yeah, it is.”

~

Since that day, Kenma would never admit it but he would notice red begonias more regularly than he did before. However, that was just the beginning.

A couple of years sped by, and Kenma found himself standing alone by a corner in his middle school’s graduation ceremony.

It was not his graduation, though. It was Kuroo’s.

From afar, Kuroo could be seen crowded by both boys and girls. Kenma let out a sigh, slightly regretting his decision to wait for Kuroo to head home together. He waited for another half an hour before he was approached by a boy who was much taller than him.

“About time.”

A cheeky smile climbed its way onto Kuroo’s face,”Sorry, a lot of people were waiting to talk to me. I’m really popular in my grade, you know?”

“Funny. Get over yourself.”

Kenma stopped the conversation short by setting off in the direction to their homes without warning. Kuroo followed soon after, not bothered by his usual behaviour. Their walk home was quiet, but both of them found it peaceful and comfortable.

“Before I forget, I have a gift for you at home,” Kuroo said as they took the last turn before arriving at the front of their homes,”Wait here, I’ll go get it.”

Before Kenma could question anything, Kuroo sped off into his home, leaving Kenma in a state of confusion in front of his own. What in the world is he doing?

Not long after, Kuroo reappeared, but this time, instead of having all his graduation gifts in his arms, he held a single potted red begonia with a wide grin.

Skeptical, Kenma frowned slightly,”What is this for?”

“A graduation gift for you, of course.”

His reply made Kenma frown more,”I’m sure you’re the one graduating this year, not me.”

“I know,” Kuroo emphasized, holding the begonia out towards Kenma,”But I’m certain you’ll miss seeing me everyday next year, so this will accompany you in my place instead.”

Still confused by what Kuroo was trying to say, Kenma took the potted flower from his hands anyway,”We’re literally neighbours. You progressing into high school wouldn’t make that much of a difference.”

It seemed like Kenma’s acceptance of his gift made Kuroo happy, as he turned a deaf ear to Kenma’s words. He gave a small smile,”It’s beautiful, right? Look after it well, okay? I don’t want to see it withered any time soon!”

Dumbfounded, Kenma nodded nonetheless. He should be awed by the beauty of the red begonia flower, but he found himself staring at something else which was shining.

Kuroo tilted his head to a side when he made eye contact with Kenma’s dazed ones,”Kenma?”

The sound of his name rolling off Kuroo’s tongue jolted him awake, and his eyes quickly dashed to look at his bedroom window above.

“Okay, promise. Thank you, Kuro.”

On that day, Kenma decided that he loves red begonias. Not just because they are beautiful, but also because they remind him of someone beautiful in his life.

Kuroo Tetsurou.

~

Surprisingly enough, Kenma’s last year of middle school really felt different without the annoying presence of Kuroo. Even so, the year went by as quickly as the previous ones, and soon Kenma stood in front of the gates of Nekoma High School beside second year student Kuroo.

“You look excited,” Kuroo commented, and Kenma knew it was sarcastic. Hence the now blonde boy made no attempt to rebut him, opting to go ahead and walk into school instead.

It had already been a month since his first day of school as a Nekoma High student, and if Kenma had to be honest, he was glad he had Kuroo back by his side. Even if they were in different years.

Just like every other day, his mind subconsciously followed his daily routine. Switching to indoor shoes, Kenma took a side glance at Kuroo, who was oddly quiet.

What Kenma did not expect was to see Kuroo’s indoor shoes still in his locker, and Kuroo just standing in front of it with a small note in his hands.

He looked at him expectantly. Feeling Kenma’s curious catlike gaze on him, Kuroo looked up from the note, shrugging,”I think it’s a confession note. Someone asked me to meet them by the corner staircase after school later.”

Kenma knew this should mean nothing to him, but he could not stop the feeling of his heart being squeezed and his throat tightening. He subtly gulped, looking away,”Are you going to?”

From the corner of his eyes, he can see Kuroo stuffing the note into the pocket of his school pants.

“Of course.”

It was obvious that Kuroo said more after, but Kenma then could not hear it over the loud pounding of his heart against his ribcage. He quietly announced his leave, nodding slightly as he left the lockers.

~

That day went by and not once did the thought of Kuroo meeting his admirer after school left Kenma’s mind. School finally ended, which meant the only time Kenma got to spend time with Kuroo in school came.

Volleyball training.

Kenma was itching, itching to know what happened between Kuroo and his supposed admirer. Was it a he or a she? How did they confess? How did Kuroo react? Did he say yes or no?

However, when Kenma entered the sports hall, the familiar black bedhead was nowhere to be seen.

“Kenma.” He heard his name being called, and he turned to see the second year libero waving to him with a friendly grin on his face.

“Yaku-san,” He simply greeted back.

“Have you seen Kuroo? Kai and I went to find him after class, but we couldn’t find him anywhere.”

Kenma had not seen him, but he sure knew where he was.

“No, but-”

“Are you two shit-talking about me?” A voice suddenly interrupted, causing Kenma’s heart to flip as his eyes widened in surprise.

Yaku, on the other hand, handled it smoothly,”Perhaps. Glad to see you barely making it for training, Kuroo.”

At his words, Kuroo sent a dazzling smile, but from how close he was,  Kenma could see the competitive sparks forming between the two of them. Fortunately, interception was not necessary as Yaku headed off to set up the courts with the other club members.

That left Kuroo and Kenma in a blanket of silence. It might not have been awkward for Kuroo, but for Kenma, as his mind rushed to formulate low-key questions to ask about Kuroo’s relationship status, it was.

Kenma could feel his mouth turning dry while his throat tightened for some reason he could not place his finger on. It’s just a question, what is he so worried for?

Turned out, all of Kenma’s worries were for nothing when Kuroo spoke up first.

“It’s a girl from your year.” It was as though Kuroo could read his mind as he spoke, making Kenma turn to look at him,”I turned her down, anyway. She wasn’t really my type.”

Kenma felt a chill run down his spine once Kuroo’s words entered his head. He looked away immediately, not wanting to risk the chance of Kuroo seeing how he truly felt from his eyes.

“Oh, that’s a pity.”

For the first time in Kenma’s life, he felt a different type of relief. It is not the same relief he feels after every training session, or the relief he feels after finally beating the final boss in games.

Kuroo would never understand how much those four simple words of ‘I turned her down’ meant to him.

~

Another year passed, and it is finally the present.

In that one year, Kenma was not sure whether Kuroo was hiding it from him or not, but Kuroo never received another confession after that day. One side of Kenma felt relieved, but the other felt confused. Why was he thinking this way?

He did not dwell on it though, as the new year rolled in and he finally became a second year.

Initially, it seemed like the new year would be just like the one before, maybe even better since Kuroo became the team captain. The only difference is that for this year, for the first time in a really long time, their school reunited with their old rival.

Karasuno High School.

“Kuro.”

Their last practice match for the day has finally ended. Both teams are now given the chance to properly interact with each other, but the sole thought of that only makes Kenma’s heart race as he runs away from the creepy setter of the other school.

“Hey, Kenma,” Kuroo greets in return with a smile as he watches the smaller boy’s hair bounce while approaching him,“How was today?”

“Okay, I guess.”

“Are you sure it was just ‘okay’?”

Kenma’s gaze drops from Kuroo’s eyes, taking in his sweaty form discreetly. He gulps inwardly, looking back up quickly and frowning,“What do you mean? It’s just like any other practice matches.”

A smirk grows onto Kuroo’s face,“I saw how you were looking at the shrimp from Karasuno. You just like how you do when you buy a new game. Sparkling eyes and all. You hardly look like that.”

His eyes squint accusingly,“Shoyo is just interesting. You don’t understand.”

“I do,” The other male insists,“Ask me the same questions.”

There is an excited glimmer in his eyes, and even if Kenma finds it highly suspicious, he plays along anyway.

“Okay, how was today?”

Kuroo’s shoulders drop. Kenma knows he’s mocking him.

“Okay, I guess,” He replies in a monotonous tone, but his eyes pressure him to continue the conversation.

Kenma sighs,”Are you sure it was just ‘okay’?”

At that statement, Kuroo hurriedly looks at their surroundings, as though making sure nobody can eavesdrop on their conversation. Kenma looks around instinctively, then looking back at the other male suspiciously. What is Kuroo up to?

Once Kuroo knows the coast is clear, he bends down slightly so he can whisper to Kenma.

“I trust you,” He states, and Kenma frowns.

“What?”

“Do you see the tall Karasuno middle blocker over there?”

Kenma’s eyes follow the direction Kuroo’s finger is discretely pointing at, landing on the back of a Karasuno jersey with the white numbers ‘11’. His frown deepens.

“What about him?”

The finger drops. “I think he’s pretty cute, I heard he’s a first-year.”

The sentence takes a few seconds to register into Kenma’s head, and when it finally does, he feels his stomach drop. The familiar yet unfamiliar feeling of his heart being squeezed and throat tightening returns from about a year ago. Maybe Kenma forgot how it actually felt, but this time, it feels worse.

What is this?

Kenma unwillingly lets out a cough to clear the uncomfortable feeling in his throat, but he plays it off as a choke from surprise. However, he is not given a chance to reply as Kuroo continues.

“I’m going to talk to him.”

Kuroo is his best friend. Who is he to stop him from going for the person he’s interested in?

He takes a deep breath, hoping Kuroo will not realize how shaky his voice is when he opens his mouth to speak,”This is unnecessary information. I don’t remember asking, really. Plus he lives in Miyagi, how is this going to work?”

It is as though Kenma did not mention the first two sentences, as a wide grin is plastered on Kuroo’s face while he pats Kenma’s back playfully.

“Shrimp lives in Miyagi too.”

“Huh?”

“You won’t understand now, Kenma, but you will, soon!”

With that, Kuroo announces his departure, heading off to the blonde middle blocker and leaving Kenma behind to drown in his own thoughts.

~

Kenma has never liked camps, especially volleyball training camps.

Training camps are a chore, and Kenma hates going through unnecessary trouble. However, there’s a change this time, for Karasuno High School will be joining them for this year’s annual training camp.

Kenma felt indifferent to it, or maybe even looking slightly forward to it, at the idea of playing against Shoyo again. However, Karasuno does not only have Shoyo. They have the tall blonde middle blocker as well.

Are they in contact? Do they text everyday?

Kenma does not know. Kuroo never mentioned anything about him since that day.

Still, why is he so worried anyway?

This is just a training camp. He knows Karasuno High School, and Karasuno High School knows them. How much of a difference would one person actually make?

However, when he stands in front of the entrance of the third gym of Shinzen High School, he finds out how wrong he was to assume that.

Last year, it was a regular night routine for Kenma, Kuroo, Akaashi and Bokuto to train together for extra practice during training camp. Kenma was not entirely willing at first, but somehow when he saw Kuroo’s pleading eyes, he could not stop himself from saying ‘yes’.

After the first day, Kuroo dragged Kenma along with him to find Akaashi and Bokuto for the rest of the camp no matter how much Kenma protested. It seemed as though he did not want to be there, but truthfully, Kenma was really happy that Kuroo remembered and included him.

Hence the boy naturally assumed the same would happen at this year’s training camp. Though, that is not the case.

“Yaku-san, have you seen Kuro?”

He remembers asking, and he remembers the shorter boy mentioning their captain’s earlier leave from the sports hall.

He found it weird. Why didn’t Kuroo ask him along if they were going to head to the same place?

Now, he does not find it weird anymore.

“Watch out, Four Eyes, Bokuto’s straight is coming!”

Kenma’s keen catlike gaze follows Kuroo’s body as he prepares for a block. The Nekoma captain jumps, and alongside him is the Karasuno number ‘11’. The block turns out successful, and he watches Kuroo turn to his side to ask for a victory five from the other blocker.

Everything looks okay, everything looks just right. Everything looks perfect.

The lack of Kenma’s presence inside the third gym appears to not have any impact on the other three males as the atmosphere inside remains the same as last year, filled with drive and competitiveness.

Kenma subconsciously takes a few small steps back from the entrance of the gym quietly, not wanting to interrupt their session.

The sound of shoes squeaking and balls hitting the ground gradually gets softer as the beating of Kenma’s heart gradually gets louder.

“Come on, Four Eyes! I’m sure you’re better than this.”

His eyes freezes upon the sight of Kuroo patting the first-year’s back teasingly yet encouragingly. The sight is so familiar, but this time, the back Kuroo is patting is not Kenma’s.

Is he so easily replaceable in Kuroo’s life?

It is the same feeling again, the feeling of his throat tightening and his heart getting squeezed.

His breaths become heavier while his steps back become bolder. The world starts to spin, making him feel nauseous as his mind races. A pain shoots through his chest, doubling the nauseousness he is facing.

What’s happening?

Turning on his heels, he starts running to the nearest toilet he can find. Not only because he has the urge to vomit, but also because he does not want to be seen by Kuroo any time soon.

Fortunately for Kenma, the toilet he finds is empty.

He does not need anyone around him right now. He does not want people to ask about him. He just wants to be alone.

He can feel the sourness of the bile in his mouth when he pushes the toilet door open, wasting no time to bend over the nearest sink. Tears start to well up in his eyes as he begins to painfully choke from the suffocating feeling in his throat.

Something smooth slides down his tongue, but Kenma’s vision is too blurred from the tears to take a proper look at what lands in the sink. All he sees is red.

Blood?

Hands shaking, he lifts them up from the sink to wipe his tears away. He blinks to get leftover tears out of his eyes, before looking down.

His heart drops immediately.

A flower. Not just any flower, a red begonia. The flower he is so familiar with, the flower he waters every day. The flower that reminds him of his best friend, Kuroo Tetsurou.

How is this possible?

Kenma has no time to think through when the feeling returns and he starts coughing all over again.

~

Kenma does not know how long he has been alone in the darkness of the toilet. All he knows is that there are a bunch of dead red begonia flowers in the sink, and his throat hurts.

Slumping against the dirty toilet wall, he lets out a shaky breath. He is tired and thirsty, but he cannot find the strength within himself to stand up and leave the place he is so sick of now.

Just as he feels his consciousness slipping off the tips of his fingers, the door creaks, bringing light into the dark space.

Kuroo?

He weakly forces his head up to look in curiosity, and his dead eyes meet with bright and concerned ones.

“Kenma! Oh my gosh, are you okay?”

Before Kenma can fully take in his arrival, Hinata dashes towards him in horror. “What happened to you?”

He makes no effort to speak considering how much pain his throat is in, opting to communicate with the orange-head through eyes instead. His gaze moves over to the flower filled sink, causing Hinata’s to follow.

Kenma watches Hinata’s eyes widen in shock at the sight in front of him. “What is this?”

Not knowing the answer himself either, he moves his hand up his throat, lazily showing a vomiting gesture. Something flashes across Hinata’s eyes for a split second, but Kenma pays it no mind as the former brings his arm over his shoulders.

“On three, you stand, okay?”

Kenma nods. Fortunately, Kenma is not as tall as other volleyball players, as Hinata manages to support him out of the toilet with ease.

It is as though Hinata is able to read Kenma’s mind. Upon exit, the shorter male scans the hall to avoid crossing paths with others. Afterwards, he quickly guides him towards an empty classroom nearby.

“I’ll get some water for you, okay? Just wait here,” Hinata turns swiftly, but stops short when Kenma grabs his shirt sleeve. He looks back, on high alert,”What’s wrong?”

Kenma gulps, and a shot of pain runs down his spine,”P-please don’t t-tell anyone.”

At that, Kenma sees Hinata’s eyes soften as a reassuring smile grows on the latter’s face.

“Okay, I promise, Kenma.”

Hinata then leaves Kenma to be in the darkness alone again, surrounded by thoughts he wants to avoid.

What’s going on with him? Why is this happening to him? What caused this? Is he sick?

Thankfully, Hinata returns with a bottle of water and a wet towel before the darkness can overwhelm him.

Kenma bows appreciatively as he takes the bottle from Hinata, chugging down the water immediately. The pain in his throat becomes numb as the cold water flows down, finally bringing Kenma the peace he has been seeking for the past hours.

“You were missing for hours, you know? I was looking for you after I took a shower but none of your teammates knew where you were, so I volunteered to find you,” Hinata starts to explain, now passing the wet towel.

“Thank you, Shoyo,” Kenma whispers in return, feeling too exhausted to speak any louder as he refreshes himself with the towel.

From the corner of his eyes, he can see Hinata eyeing him suspiciously, and he knows he wants to know more.

“Just ask if you want to.”

Hinata sighs.

“What happened?”

That is one question he would like to know the answer to as well. Kenma suddenly feels a chill, and lets out a long breath,”I-I don’t know.”

A blanket of silence follows, but it does not stay for long.

“You vomited those flowers, right?” Hinata asks, but it feels like a slap to Kenma’s face,”Do you want to head home? I think you should go to the hospital. You’re not in the state to play volleyball.”

Immediately, denial comes. “No,” Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he shakes his head,”I don’t want people to know what happened. I’m fine now. It’s okay, don’t worry. Maybe I ate something wrong.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m okay. Thank you for finding me, Shoyo.”

The real question is, is he trying to comfort Hinata or himself?

~

Kenma is not okay.

By now, he has already lost count of how many times he ran to the toilet in the middle of a practice match to vomit the same flowers he is so sick of now. He has not been performing well either, considering how many times he has dropped the ball in just one set and how many times he is unable to set accurately to his teammates.

He has also noticed the strange looks given to him by his teammates and the opponent teams, but no matter how many times people ask him about his wellbeing, he will just insist that he is okay.

It is easy to avoid people especially when they have questions Kenma does not want to answer, but the same cannot be applied with Kuroo, whose eyes have been drilling into the back of Kenma’s skull for the past hour. He knows that sooner or later Kuroo will corner him to find out what is happening.

From afar, he is able to feel Hinata’s worried gaze on him from time to time, which occasionally he will send a small smile back, in hopes to ease his worries.

However, he knows his body will not be able to withstand his fatigue any time soon.

“Kenma, here’s your water.”

Kenma barely hears what Kuroo says to him, as the world starts to spin slightly, and every sound that enters his ears is muffled. His throat starts to itch again as he brings the bottle of water to his mouth.

“Hey,” He hears someone say, and that person grabs his shoulders so that he will face them. His eyes meet with Kuroo’s,”Are you sure you’re okay? You look out of it.”

There is a second delay before Kenma realizes how close he is standing to Kuroo. His heart suddenly throbs as he pushes Kuroo’s hands away from him without thinking twice.

Feeling his cheeks turn hot, he looks away,”Sorry. I’m fine, don’t worry about it.”

“If you say so,” Hearing that makes Kenma feel relieved, but his heart drops next,”Anyway, I got to play with Tsukki after training yesterday! I feel like he might like me back, but I’m not sure yet. There’s progress.”

Kuroo’s warm smile used to make Kenma feel at ease no matter the circumstances, but this time, Kenma only feels the pain from his chest and the flower petals begging to be thrown up. Kenma chokes, trying to keep the petals in as Kuroo hits his back excitedly.

Tsukki? Is that some sort of nickname?

“Huh? Did I hit you too hard?”

“N-no,” Kenma breathes in deeply, forcing a small smile,”I believe he’ll like you back, Kuro. Sorry, I need to go again.”

However, before Kenma can even take a step away from Kuroo, his vision goes black and he loses his balance. He feels his body fall, but someone grabs him before he touches the ground.

“Kenma! Are you okay?”

“Oh my God.”

“Give him space! Don’t crowd around him!”

“What happened to him?”

Yeah, what’s happening to him?

~

The next time Kenma opens his eyes, he finds himself in the darkness within four white walls, in an unfamiliar bed and unfamiliar dressing.

The next thing he notices is the beeping sound coming from his left. Turning his head, his eyes land on a machinery, which he immediately recognizes as a heart rate monitor.

He’s in the hospital?

“Oh, Kozume-san, you’re awake.”

He jumps, and his head whips to the other side of the room to see a man dressed in a white coat sliding the room door close. He watches the doctor carefully as the only other person in the room takes a seat in front of his bed.

Looking down, he takes in his new dressing and the bed he is resting in. The entire room has a significant smell, the smell of cleanliness and antiseptic. Everything feels so white, so clean, so dreadful. Everything about hospitals reminds Kenma of death itself and he hates it.

He looks back up, eyes locking on the nametag by the side of his coat immediately. Hano Akira, doctor.

A friendly smile grows on the doctor’s face. “How are you feeling?”

How is he feeling? He doesn’t know.

His chest feels heavy as he clears his throat to reply,”Okay.”

“Do you know where you are and what happened before?”

His gaze shifts from the doctor to stare at an empty corner of the room, thinking hard.

“I fainted at a volleyball training camp,” He answers simply.

“That’s right,” Hano nods, not minding his simple reply,”Your teacher sent you to the hospital earlier today. It’s night time now, you’ve been resting for half the day already. You fainted because of dehydration and exhaustion from overworking yourself. I heard you were vomiting as well, which was probably the cause of dehydration.”

There is a nagging feeling in the back of Kenma’s mind telling him to mention the red begonias, but before his mind can come up with a statement, Hano beats him to it.

The doctor sighs, which makes Kenma look back at him. Running a hand through his hair tiredly, he places the clipboard in his hand on his lap as though preparing for a complicated conversation.

This makes Kenma’s hairs on the back of his neck stand. What does he know?

“This is important information that I’m telling you, okay? Please pay attention.”

He nods.

“During your check up, we found withered flower petals and stems in your lungs. It’s a symptom for a rare disease. May I know when you vomited, did you vomit flowers?”

It is as though Kenma’s thoughts have just been ripped out of his head by the doctor. Mind flashing back to the many scarily lonely and painful trips to the school toilet, his breathing quickens as his hands start to shake and sweat cold sweat.

Rare disease? What the hell? Because of the rare disease, I vomited red begonias?

“I-it’s fine, Kozume-san.” The doctor cuts his train of thoughts, bringing him back to reality,”You have the Hanahaki Disease, it’s contracted when the person faces one-side lov-”

“I-I! I don’t want to know about it, please.”

Only when he hears his own voice, then he realizes how tightly he is gripping onto the blanket on the bed, for his knuckles have already become white. His wide eyes meet Hano’s surprised ones.

Kenma forces himself to let go of the blanket as he takes in a deep breath to calm himself down. Why is he getting so worked up for? Is it because he doesn't want to face reality that’s right in front of him right now?

“I’m sorry, Doctor,” He gulps, shivering slightly when a pain follows,”I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure I don’t have the disease.”

“Kozume-san, but-”

“I would like to know when I can be discharged, please.”

His gaze lowers, avoiding the doctor’s at all cost. The sound of the chair being pushed back and footsteps walking out of the room follow, and Kenma heaves a sigh of relief.

Kenma’s not dumb. He recognizes the name. He knows what the doctor is talking about, and he can guess who is the one who caused this to him.

Why didn’t he think of this earlier?

~

Hanahaki Disease. A disease in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings romantically, or when the victim dies. It can be cured through surgical removal, but when the infection is removed, the victim's romantic feelings for their love also disappear. There is a chance where the victim’s memories of the beloved disappear as well.

Kenma sighs.

As he scrolls down the page to find more information, his phone suddenly starts to ring.

In the darkness of his bedroom in the middle of the night, the sudden noise makes him jump, but when he sees the caller id on his bright screen, his heart rate slows down.

“Hello?”

“Kenma! Sorry I couldn’t call earlier. How are you feeling?” The warmth of the voice manages to reach Kenma despite the distance, and that makes Kenma smile.

“Shoyo, it’s 1 in the morning. Why are you awake?”

“I heard you just got home a while ago! And you haven’t answered me, how are you feeling?”

It has been almost three hours since he has left the hospital with his parents. Everyone was worried, it seems, as his phone was blown up with notifications from his team when he finally got it back. There was one person, however, whom he has not heard from ever since he was in Shinzhen High School.

“Okay, I guess.” Lies.

He has been running from his bed to the toilet and back every ten minutes since he set foot into his home three hours ago. He is tired for sure, but the uncomfortable feeling in his chest and the constant need to regurgitate prevent him from lulling to sleep.

“I see.” Hinata takes it anyway,”What did the doctor say? You won’t be returning to training camp, right?”

“Dehydration and exhaustion. I’m not allowed to.”

There is a pause. “Anything else?”

Kenma squints his eyes suspiciously. He is rather certain Hinata knows by now, so is he just trying to get him to tell him everything?

Nonetheless, he replies,”Yes. The doctor mentioned Hanahaki Disease.”

“Ah.” From this, Kenma can tell that Hinata has done his research. “What do you think?”

“It might be true,” Kenma mutters bluntly,”And I don’t really have a chance, so I might end up dying anyway.”

“Huh?” His tone is anxious,”What are you talking about? There’s no way you’re going to die. M-May I know who is the person?”

Maybe it’s because he has never actually spoken about it out loud before, but even though he has already come to terms with it, he feels his stomach drop with queasiness when he replies,”Sure. It’s Kuro.”

Suddenly there is pin drop silence.

“Hello?”

“O-Oh! Sorry, I was doing something,” The reply comes immediately after, and Kenma knows he’s lying,”You said Kuroo, right? I see. Anyway, I’m sure you’re tired. I won’t bother you anymore, okay? I need to get up early for tomorrow’s training too. Rest well, Kenma.”

He wants to ask more, he wants to know more. However, the calling from within his body makes him do otherwise,”Okay, you too, Shoyo.”

Kenma’s about to put down the phone to run to the toilet for the nth time when Hinata suddenly speaks.

“Kenma? Are you still there?”

He swallows hard, wincing as he forces the bile down. “Yes?”

“I promise I’ll save you, okay? You’re my friend, I won’t let you down.”

Even if these are the words he wants to hear from someone else, it warms his heart nevertheless and he finally no longer feels isolated in this situation.

“Thank you, Shoyo.”

~

For the first time in Kenma’s life, he is happy that he is not in the same class or cohort as Kuroo.

After the training camp ended, Kenma only saw Kuroo once outside of school. Considering how they are practically neighbours, this occurrence is definitely something out of the ordinary.

The one time was the day when training camp ended, Kuroo came to pay a visit to Kenma and check on his well-being. Kenma hated how just the presence of Kuroo could brighten his horrid experience so easily, and he hated himself for giving the black-haired boy such power over him.

However, after day, Kenma never saw Kuroo again.

No matter what time of the day it is, whenever Kenma goes over to find Kuroo, he will only be greeted by Kuroo’s father, who claims that Kuroo’s out studying with a friend. Lies.

They even stop going to school together. Because of Kenma’s early morning vomiting sessions, Kuroo never waits for him to leave anymore. Hence they really do not have any chance to talk other than during volleyball training, which Kenma holds close to his heart and appreciates more than ever before.

Another thing is that Kenma’s so sick of red begonias now. It is as though its beauty is mocking him, staring back at him from the bottom of the sink as he empty his insides. He does not only hate them for their beauty, but also for reminding him of the person giving him the most problems right now.

He is not happy because he gets to avoid any unwanted interactions or confrontations with Kuroo, it is because he can handle his new tendencies without anyone questioning him.

Other than the second-years in the team, barely anyone talks to Kenma in their year, unless deemed necessary. Kenma thus finds himself extremely fortunate that none of them are in the same class as him as he enters every class with a face mask on covering his mouth.

Though, this fortune is a short lived one as the school day will always end with volleyball training. Even if he looks forward to training to see Kuroo, he has to deal with all the curious questions that come along with it.

“Hey, Kenma! What are you wearing the mask for?”

He winces as he recognizes the voice of Yamamoto. Turning around, he greets the over energetic male dully,”Hello, Yamamoto. I got a cold sore.”

“Oh, I see.” He walks past Kenma towards the school gym, and Kenma follows suit, glad that he did not question more,”Are you better now? You’ve missed a lot of training because of your medical leave.”

Having a cold sore may be a lie, but it is not far off the truth. Because of the endless amount of flowers coming out from him, his lips earned a couple of cuts along the way.

“Yeah, I’m feeling better,” Kenma lies through his teeth, as though he did not just leave the toilet after vomiting a bunch of begonias into the toilet bowl.

“That’s good! Can’t wait for you to set for me today!”

Honestly, Kenma cannot wait either.

If only he can do it.

~

“Kenma! What’s up with you today?”

He stands in front of Coach Nekomata nervously, eyes glued to the ground as he fiddles with the corner of his shorts. From the corner of his eyes, he can see the rest of Nekoma cleaning and packing up, but he knows they are paying attention to the conversation.

“Sorry, Coach.”

“You know how important this period of time is, Kenma. I can’t have my only setter not being able to set to my other players.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Seeing how many times you missed receiving and setting really scares me. If you’re still not feeling well, don’t force yourself. You should be fully well before coming back to practice.”

Kenma is panting hard, but he does not whether it is because of training or because of his disability to breathe properly with all the flowers stuck in his throat and lungs. The immense pain in his chest comes and goes, disallowing Kenma from doing anything strenuous.

“Okay.”

With that, Coach Nekomata dismisses him, letting him join the team to clean up the gym. By then, they are already almost done with cleaning, and it is time to head home.

After one final trip to the school’s toilet, he finds himself walking beside Kuroo with the rest of the team ahead of them. It seems as though the team had collectively agreed to let Kuroo handle the problem Kenma has that is affecting the entire team’s dynamic, but Kuroo did not get the memo.

Kenma looks at the oblivious taller boy awkwardly as the latter taps incessantly onto his phone, paying no attention to his surroundings with a giddy smile plastered on his face.

It was the same during training. The only time Kenma gets to have with Kuroo in school is ripped away from the palm of his hands as Kuroo pays zero attention to the setter. His body was physically in the gym, but his mind was elsewhere.

“K-Kuro?”

Kenma knows it is because Kuroo’s too immersed in texting whoever he is texting to hear him, but he blames it on the mask he is wearing instead.

“Kuro.”

This time, he grabs the sleeve of the team jacket he is wearing, proving an effective method as Kuroo finally looks away from the brightness of his phone. Their eyes meet, and Kenma feels his heart stop.

“What’s up?”

Does Kuroo not know what happened?

Dumbfounded, Kenma looks down, and he remembers the phone in Kuroo’s hand. “Who are you texting?”

For some reason, this simple question immediately brings light into Kuroo’s eyes. Kenma can only wish to have this kind of impact on the boy.

“Tsukki, remember, the middle blocker from Karasuno? His name is Tsukishima Kei.”

Then, Kenma realizes he regrets asking.

“I really think I have a shot with him, Kenma,” Kuroo smiles, a smile Kenma has never seen before, and the pain in Kenma’s chest doubles,”He seems as interested in me as I do in him. I was thinking about how to ask him out during practice just now.”

“A-Ah, that’s great,” Kenma feels the familiar feeling of the flower petal at the top of his throat, and he swallows hard to force it back down,”I need to get something from the convenience store. You guys can go ahead first.”

What Kenma is expecting is for Kuroo to volunteer to go with him, like usual. However, Kuroo instead just nods in acknowledgement, then speeding up to catch up with the rest of the team. His head looks back down as he walks, back to typing away on his phone and leaving Kenma alone just like before.

Numb, Kenma stands in the same position where Kuroo left him for a while, processing what just happened before the disease pays its regular visits and sends Kenma running again.

Tsukishima Kei took everything from Kenma. His life as a volleyball player, his special bond with Kuroo, Kuroo Tetsurou himself. He is the one who cursed him with this disease, not Kuroo. Kenma hates Tsukishima Kei.

If only Kuroo had not met him.

~

“No.”

“What do you mean by ‘no’?”

“I’m not doing it.”

“Kenma, your health is on the line here. I don’t think you have a choice.”

Kenma remembers this conversation.

It is one he and Hinata had the night before, one that is almost exactly the same as the one he had with Coach Nekomata, but the second time, the dreadful Hanahaki Disease plays a part in it.

Hinata has been begging the past few days for Kenma to quit volleyball and put his own health above everything else. Kenma knows his good intentions, but how can he quit the only thing that connects him and Kuroo together?

“I will get better, Shoyo.”

Kenma heard his sigh from the other side of the line,”I don’t think that’s how it works, and I also want to tell you that I found a very reliable doctor who specializes in Hanahaki Disease surgeries here in Miyagi. That is, if you are willing to travel. If you’re not, I can find one in Tokyo.”

If he really ends up going for the surgery, he would rather have it done in Miyagi, where his hometown friends would not be able to find out. However, there’s still one more factor to consider.

“I’m okay with Miyagi, but if I go for surgery, there’s a chance where I lose my memories of Kuro, right?”

Silence followed before Hinata answered,”Yes.”

Kenma’s mind was clear. As cliche as it was, he would rather die knowing how much Kuroo impacted his life than not remembering Kuroo at all. After voicing his thoughts, Kenma remembers Hinata sighing once again, before giving in and starting to give advice on how to approach Kuroo instead.

Kenma rejected countless brainless suggestions from Hinata, but the orange-haired boy did not give up. Eventually, it was Kenma’s turn to give in, and he accepted the one he finds most feasible by far.

Still, nothing mentally prepared Kenma for what he is about to see.

With a box of grilled salted mackerel pike in one hand, he stands near the gates by the entrance of the school. Having woken up earlier than usual, Kenma has spent half of his morning cooking with a little help from his mother and the other half bending over the toilet bowl.

It was both painful and tiring, but Kenma knows that it will bring a smile to Kuroo’s face and brighten up his day by at least a little. That is enough for Kenma to find that it is worth his early morning suffering.

After his terrible performance during training the day before, Coach Nekomata decided to give the team a good break by cancelling training today. Hence Kenma decided to make good use of this opportunity to spend some time with Kuroo.

He looks at the time on the screen of his phone. Kuroo should be out by about now.

And Kenma is right.

From afar, Kenma catches sight of Kuroo changing to his outdoor shoes by the lockers, and the grip he has on the handle of the bag tightens. He feels his heartbeat start to race, beginning to feel nervous.

It is just like any other day, where he and Kuroo walk home together after school. Why is he reacting this way?

He watches as the male waves goodbye to his classmates and starts heading for the school gates. Mustering up his courage, he opens his mouth to speak.

“Kuro.”

Kenma is not sure whether it is because of the mask again that causes Kuroo to not be able to hear him or because Kuroo seems fixated on something else.

While Kenma is looking at him, Kuroo is looking in the other direction. Following his gaze, Kenma’s eyes fall onto a tall hooded figure standing at the other end of the gate.

Who is that?

Kuroo walks straight towards the unknown person, not noticing Kenma’s presence in the slightest. A small smile slowly grows on the boy’s face as he taps the person’s shoulder, and when the person turns, Kuroo smiles a smile Kenma has honestly never seen before.

It is a bright smile filled with adoration, a smile filled with love. A rare smile from Kuroo, a rare smile that will never be directed to Kozume Kenma.

Kuroo brings the person in for a hug, and their hood drops. A blonde head is revealed, the hood then bringing Kenma’s heart down together with it. The all too familiar feeling of his stomach churning and chest suffocating returns.

“Tsukki! Have you been waiting long?”

“Not at all, Kuroo-san,” The younger male replies,”I just arrived not too long ago.”

“That’s good! Let’s head to the movie theatre first, we need to get tickets.”

Kuroo swings his arm over the bespectacled boy’s shoulder, guiding him in the direction of the nearest mall, opposite of where Kenma is standing.

Kenma does not notice that he has already lost grip of the bag with the food, as it lands on the ground hardly and spills its contents all over. He only notices how small he is, how insignificant he is in the world of Kuroo Tetsurou.

Who is he to get in between their happiness?

At that moment, Kenma realizes he has been wrong all this while. It is neither Kuroo nor Tsukishima who caused him to get the Hanahaki Disease. The real culprit has been himself all along.

~

Kenma does not know how long he has left. Two months? Two weeks? Two days?

However, what he knows is that he should not be feeling so comfortable with the disease. He has detached himself from everything, from school, from volleyball, from his family. The only thing that reminds him he is still living on Earth is the fact that he cannot stop vomiting.

His parents pay no mind to him locking himself in his room everyday, they just think he is gaming as per normal. And Kenma would like to keep it that way.

“Did you do it?”

“Yeah, I’m officially not a member anymore.”

Kenma hears Hinata’s sigh of relief, and yet he cannot find himself feeling the same way as his friend does.

Not long after his homemade mackerel snack went to waste, he found himself standing in the middle of the teacher’s room with a club withdrawal form in his hands. He remembers himself shaking as the form was passed from his hands to his teacher’s, half knowing he is going to regret it and half knowing this is for his best.

With the explanation that he has a disease that he needs to go for an operation for, he is officially removed from the lineup of the Nekoma volleyball club with immediate effect. He has not seen any of the club members physically since then, he could only explain his situation halfheartedly online.

‘Will you return?’

‘Maybe.’

“That’s good. By the way, please remember you have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow at 2pm.”

He lets out a shaky breath,”I remember.”

“I’ll meet you at the train station, then we can head to the hospital together.”

“Okay, thank you so much, Shoyo.”

Hinata replies, and Kenma knows he is smiling,”I already told you, Kenma. I’ll save you, and that’s a promise!”

That is what Hinata says, but all Kenma thinks about is how he is going to repay Hinata for everything he has done for him. For if Kenma had not met Hinata, he would have been all alone throughout the journey, with no one to trust and no one to turn to. Hinata brought light into the darkness he is facing because of the disease.

How fortunate, he is able to be Hinata’s friend.

His words bring a small smile to Kenma’s face. Before he can answer, he hears his home doorbell, which immediately makes his smile drop.

“Sorry, Shoyo, I need to answer the door,” He mutters apologetically.

“It’s fine! Take care of yourself, okay? See you, Kenma!”

Swinging his legs across his bed, he tiredly forces himself out of his room. The doorbell has been incessantly ringing, making him furrow his eyebrows in irritation. Who the hell is that?

What he does not expect when he swings the door open is to see Kuroo, panting hard and drenched in sweat from head to toe. His hair is no longer standing as it sticks onto his forehead because of the sweat.

Still, Kenma manages to find Kuroo ethereal.

“What are you doing here, Kuro?”

His heart is racing, and he is starting to find it hard to breathe.

“What am I doing here?” Kuroo questions back,”I should be the one asking you what are you doing here? At the comfort of your home, when you should have been at training minutes ago!”

Kenma’s frown deepens,”What? Don’t you know I have already quit the team?”

Kuroo’s eyes are different, different than usual. His eyes are hard and angry, and he has never looked at Kenma like this before.

“I know! And I had to hear it from the rest of the team! What the hell, Kenma? A disease? What an excuse. Don’t be so selfish. This is a time when the team needs the brain the most, we need you the most, and you’re bailing out on us? I can’t believe you.”

Kenma should not be feeling this way, but he cannot stop the tears threatening to fall upon hearing Kuroo’s words.

“I-I’m not being selfish, Kuro.” His fingers findle with the sleeves of his hoodie anxiously,”I already explained myself in the groupchat. Didn’t you read it? I don’t want to leave the team, but I don’t have a choice.”

“Sure you don’t. You look perfectly fine to me. Just because you’re too lazy to play anymore doesn’t mean you can just give up on the entire team. Just come back for the next training.”

“What? No, I can’t. I really can’t, Kuro.”

“Stop denying. I’ve been your best friend for so long, you can’t lie to me. Just listen to me, Kenma.”

Suddenly, Kenma’s dejection evaporates and anger replaces it instead. He uses his hoodie sleeve to rub away his tears roughly, leaving a stinging feeling behind as he vents,”No. You listen to me! You don’t know what I’m going through right now, don’t think you know everything about me. I-I am suffering from Hanahaki Disease, and I can’t do anything strenuous!”

Silence follows, and Kenma regrets everything he says.

“Hanahaki Disease?” Kuroo finally speaks after staring at him blankly for a few seconds,”That’s funny, Kenma. Good joke. There’s no way you have that, it’s so rare.”

Something breaks within Kenma. Is it the trust he has in Kuroo or his heart?

He can feel the all too familiar feeling of flower stems crawling up his throat. Pain shoots through his chest as he takes in a deep breath to calm himself down. He feels so weak, and he hates feeling like this in front of others, especially Kuroo.

Bringing up a finger accusingly, he snaps back,“Y-You don’t understand how hard it has been for me the past weeks, and how hard it was for me to actually confess that to you. Yet you brushed it away so easily. I got this stupid disease because of my stupid feelings for you! Will you believe me when I finally bloom for you?”

Now finding it difficult to breathe, he turns to enter his home without waiting for Kuroo’s reply. Before he can slam his door shut, Kuroo’s voice stops him.

“Kenma-”

Kenma turns back to face Kuroo for the last time and forces a smile,“I wish I never met you.”

~

No matter where he is or how old he is, Kenma will never like hospitals. The entire general vibe of hospitals just throws him off, and he hates it.

“Kenma, are you feeling okay?”

He nods.

With yesterday’s events thrown behind him, he approached the new day with a smile, for this is the day when he finally gets to be free from the stems holding him down against his will. His trip to Miyagi was luckily not troubled by , and he managed to arrive at the foot of the hospital with Hinata safely.

“You’re not having regrets, are you? Oh no. Do you need anything? I’ll get them for you.”

Hinata’s nervous, which is weird for someone who is meant to be an emotional support for the person going for an operation. They look like they have switched roles.

Grabbing Hinata’s wrist before he can run off, Kenma pulls him back down onto his seat, saying,“Stop. I’m fine, Hinata. Don’t worry.”

Hinata stares at him worriedly, causing the blondie to look back at him with a frown.

“I told you, I’m fine.”

Hinata sighs in response, then shaking his body which Kenma can only assume is to calm down his nerves. His gaze moves from the boy beside him to face the doctor across them as the doctor turns back around. A document is placed on the table in front of them, and Kenma notices his name written in bold on the top.

“I have checked your status and I can deem you ready for surgery any time. Even though we already have your parents’ approval, we still need your approval first before we can proceed. Are you certain you want to undergo this surgery?”

It was difficult. After knowing how Kuroo reacted to knowing about Kenma’s Hanahaki Disease, it was difficult for Kenma to come forward and confess to his parents about it. However, he needed his parents’ approval before he could actually do anything. At least, they reacted better than Kuroo did.

They were upset at first, of course, but they knew why he kept it a secret from them initially. From Kenma’s eyes, he also knows how bad they felt for not noticing what was going on in his life.

“Yes, I’m certain.”

“Just to be sure, Kozume-san, you do know of the possible after effects of the Hanahaki removal surgery, right?”

“I do.”

“Do you still want to go for it?”

Kenma pauses.

“Yes.”

~

He has never felt his body feel so light in a long time.

It has been almost a week since he agreed to having the Hanahaki removal operation, and Kenma has never been more happy. The doctors have finally decided to discharge him after a week, allowing him to leave the godforsaken dreadful place people call a hospital.

“Welcome home, Kenma,” His father comments as he pulls up the car,”I’m glad to see you looking so much happier.”

Over the week, his parents dropped by occasionally to check up on him, but they never got to stay for long because of work commitments back in Tokyo. Regardless, he never feels alone because Hinata would never fail to visit him after school and training.

“I’ll bring your bags home first.”

“Thank you.”

Kenma swings the door open softly, exiting the car carefully. Taking a deep breath, he indulges himself in the familiar scent of his home area. It warms his heart, and he smiles.

Walking towards his home’s open door, he stops short when he realizes an odd boy staring at him from the house next door with wide eyes. Kenma frowns in confusion, but decides to ignore him and continues walking.

“K-Kenma!” His name is called out, and he stops.

Kenma frowns. How does the boy know his name?

“Kenma.” The tall boy now runs to stand beside him. He grabs Kenma’s shoulders, making Kenma jump in fright. “Where have you been? I have been looking for you everywhere.”

Kenma’s eyes fall to the boy’s hands on his shoulders. He is insanely uncomfortable.

“Sorry,” He slowly reaches to bring the boy’s hands away from his shoulders,”I think you got the wrong person. I don’t know who you are.”

Moving back, he puts a comfortable distance between him and the boy. Kenma looks up to meet the boy’s wide eyes. His eyes seem panicked.

“Y-You don’t know who I am? Kenma, I’m Kuro. I’m your best friend, Kenma, we’ve been neighbours since we were like, ten. Don’t play this kind of sick joke with me.”

Kenma only frowns further. “I’m sorry, I really don’t know who you are. I need to go.”

Who the hell is this guy?

Leaving the boy to stand alone in the middle of their houses, Kenma enters his home quietly. Despite only leaving for a week, he still missed his home dearly. His eyes scan the layout of his home slowly before it lands on a potted flower by the side of the television.

As Kenma walks closer to it, he notices how dried up the flower is, and he is certain it has not been watered for weeks. Even though he can still see a hint of the redness it used to have, it is practically dead by now.

Sighing, he brings the potted flower into his hands, then walking back out of his house. He is surprised to see the boy with the weird bedhead still standing at the same place as he was before, but he ignores him.

It fails, anyway.

“Kenma,” The boy who claims to be ‘Kuro’ calls out again, and jogs towards him to start a conversation Kenma does not want to be a part of,”Since you’re back, are you going to join the volleyball club again? The team misses you, you know?”

This makes Kenma stop dead in his tracks. How does this stranger know he was in the school’s volleyball team?

Feeling bad for ignoring him, he says,”No. There’s nothing that is connecting me and the team. I don’t see any reason for me to join again. I don’t like doing sports, anyway.”

“W-What? B-” The boy stops halfway, and Kenma turns to look at him curiously. He then notices that the boy’s attention has been brought to the plant in his hands.

“Is that a red begonia?”

Kenma shrugs,”I don’t know. I think my mum forgot about buying it. I’ll just throw it away.”

“I-It’s withered,” The boy states, as though panicked, as his eyes are blown wide and speech is rushed,”Are you sure you want to throw it away? Isn’t it precious to you? Why don’t you try to save it?”

Kenma frowns, head tilting to a side in confusion. Why would a random plant that his mother bought be so important to him?

He answers him noneheless.

“There is no way to save hearts that have withered.”

#kurootetsurou #kuroo #kozumekenma #kenma #tsukishimakei #tsukishima #angst #hanahaki #hanahakiau #hanahakidisease #flowers #bestfriends #au #haikyuu #haikyu #volleyball #kuroken #kurotsukki

[xmyshya]

Ah btw I saw your collab event through Mandi’s rb on my dash earlier this afternoon and kinda tempted to join... can I? 👉🏻👈🏻 even though my other collab wips are crying 😂

I’ll take Haikyuu + Hinata x Kenma + fem!reader + sfw + writing; then Kenma x Kuroo + fem!reader + sfw + art.

Though I’m also going to submit the latter one to another collab event with a similar theme (poly; @/paradise-creator’s “More Than Two Hearts” collab)... is it okay? I can’t think of other ideas best suited for Kuroken other than the idea I’ll gonna do for said collab event 🤔 it’s okay if it’s not allowed ^^;;

Looking at my collab wips like

Ahhhhh, I would be really happy to have you aboard! And it's absolutely fine with me, I don't mind you submitting to both collabs (resourcefulness shouldn't be punished, yanno). I'll add both to the masterlist then, but if you decide to drop one, it's completely fine 💙

Gahhhh, I gotta say that I love how we're almost the same age!

#mysh.meteors #sparkly ella <3 #three.blind.mice

[coinsoup]

T, V, Y

T: Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all??

Depends how long we’ve got cause I have many- but lesbian yachi and trans kiyoko are my two favs!!

V: 3 OTPs from 3 different fandoms

Oh fuck that’s hard, okay-

kuroken for haikyuu god osasuna is so good too tho

momojirou for bnha

Leopika for hxh

Y: What are your secondhand fandoms (fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)

Supernatural, dragonronpa, rwrb, and much much more

#this was fun #thanks anon!!

[ezzydean]

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!  

(click here to read them all on my tumblr and not the dash)

1. It takes approximately forty-two minutes before Stiles can convince himself to get up off the loveseat where he’s happily squished between Danny and Isaac.  (love aka part 3 of the Stiles/Peter slow burn I wrote because of Catt)

2. “So.  What the djinn did to Dean in, what was it, season one?  Two?  Whatever.  Yeah totally legit.  Negative fifty out of ten.  Would not recommend.” (promise aka part 2 of the Stiles/Peter slow burn)

3. Hajime freezes when he hears the distinct sound of someone pointedly clearing their throat behind him.  (the 5+1 mistletoe kisses prompt)

4. Stiles’s phone lights up and he gives it a wary look when he sees the text notification on his screen.  He’s already been warned, by a few different people, that he would probably be getting a summons soon. (trust aka part 1 of the Stiles/Peter slow burn)

5. “There comes a day in every man’s li—”

The officiant is cut off by a loud cough and he takes a bracing breath, eyes fluttering.  (the magic in you aka KageUshiIwa magical fluff)

6. The sky is turning gray, clouds rolling in to cover up the sunset, when Kuroo finally turns to Shouyou and sighs.

“Call him.”

Shouyou snickers at the defeated tone of Kuroo’s voice but he pulls out his phone. (we’re in a parking lot somewhere aka KuroHinaDai something or other I’m writing)

7. It still hurts sometimes.  Not his wound.  It’s scarred up rather nicely.  As nice as a giant scar across half your face can be anyway. (a yet to be titled/plotted ATLA Zuko & Toph thing)

8. It starts early one morning —  mere minutes after the door has unlocked and the sign has scrawled itself into a brilliantly colorful OPEN complete with sparkles and tiny fireworks — not long after everything has started to quiet down.  (Well it had technically started years and years ago when they were all childish and stupid right little shits to each other but that’s a different story for a different day.) (only time will tell aka my Draco/George & Theo/Fred fic)

9.  Neville snaps his head up, instantly wary of Hermione and that tone of voice, and then flushes when he realizes what he’s done.  It’s Hermione after all.  She’s entirely too clever for her own good but she’s not some sneaky devious creature he has to watch his back around.  Though sometimes when she smiles the way she’s smiling now he remembers that, actually, yes she is a sneaky devious creature.  She just likes him enough that, for the most part, he doesn’t have to worry about watching his back around her.  (an untitled HP everyone comes back as professors fic)

10. Some things in life are certain.  They’re just going to happen no matter what, no matter how much you might try to prevent them.  So the smart thing to do would be to just go with the flow, right?  Just let the things happen and try not to stress over it.  Morisuke likes to think of himself as a fairly smart person.  So he’ll just take a few deep breaths and let it go, right?

Wrong.  (untitled TsukkiYaku fake dating fic)

11. Issei stumbles out of his bedroom and shuffles down the hall doing a really great impression of a zombie if you ask him.  He’s got the groans and the unsteady steps and the unfocused eyes and the inability to use higher brain functions like speech and decision making.  (my last first everything aka HanaMatsu slow burn mutual pining childhood friends to lovers)

12. The cauldron in the fireplace rattles and Daichi gives it an unimpressed stare. (cauldron bubble aka BokuDai magic accidental baby acquisition)

13. Tobio’s eyes cross as he tries to focus on the object dangling in front of his face.  He leans away from it and presses the back of his head against a warm stomach.

“Hello Iwaizumi,” he says.  (a place in the sun aka IwaKage fluff)

14. The cupboard under the stairs isn’t exactly the most comfortable place to be.  But if you are five and want to hear what the adults are talking about so seriously in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place then, sadly, the cupboard it is. (matchsticks and dragon scales, year 1 aka my Harry Potter rewrite)

15. Hajime takes a sip of his coffee and sighs, ignoring the world around him for just a few minutes while he sits and at his table at Generic Coffee Shop and gets his morning dose of caffeine.  (roots and sky aka the IwaOi part of my childhood friends to lovers series, the dichotomy of you and me)

16. It’s two in the afternoon on a Tuesday and all Tadashi wants to do is go home and sleep.  Maybe for a week.  Maybe for a month.  He’s not too entirely picky to be honest. (stars and sea aka the YamaTsukki part of the dichotomy of you and me)

17. So.  Library.

Not exactly where he’d thought he’d be working when he was back in high school.  But it’s, objectively speaking, not the worst place he could be working.  Like sure it’s not quite as interesting as working at the aquarium like Watari.  But it’s also not as taboo sounding as working at a funeral place like Matsukawa.

So.  You know.  It’s not that bad. (past and future aka the KinKuni part of the dichotomy of you and me)

18. Tetsurou glances at the screen one last time before posting and immediately closing out of his browser and signing out of his email.  He shuts down his computer a moment later and stands with a quiet groan.  It’s been a shit day.  It’s not the worst Thursday of his life or anything like that.  Just.  A shit day.  All he wants to do is clock out and go the fucky doodle home.  Which is why he hurries past his boss’s office with his head down — he has the worst problem saying no when his boss asks him for things which is how he found himself with Social Media Coordinator tacked onto his business card a few months ago — and when he hear his boss’s door start to open he hurries a little faster and opts for taking the stairs down instead of waiting for the elevator. (body and soul aka the KuroKen part of the dichotomy of you and me)

19. Kei stretches idly as he waits for practice to start.  They’re already a few weeks into this year’s season but today they’re apparently waiting for their new team trainer.  Or assistant coach.  Or something.  He wasn’t entirely listening to the announcement from the captain yesterday.   (we’ll meet at the horizon aka my epic HinaTsukki slow burn)

20. He knows the moment the words leave his lips that he’s gone too far, that he’s made one too many jokes, said a few too many things he shouldn’t have.  He always screws up, is always too much for people to handle. ((don’t) write me an elegy of your past, love aka that AkaKuro & BokuDai fantasy au)

I have no idea if I have any patterns other than I go for humor, a lot.  And I can’t pick a favorite cause I love them all for different reasons.

#ezzy writes #ask meme #(sorta)